Ground rent review backdated

andy705

Hi all i am just looking advice regarding issues we are having with our new freeholder Regis Group PLC/Pier Management (the name of the company who bought our freehold is RG Securities number 2, Pier Management are their agents but essentially the same company). Regis bought the freehold to Milliners Wharf in Ancoats on the 6th of March this year from Scarborough Group Ltd, Scarborough sold the freehold to obtain money to fund their new development the Hatbox (Milliners Wharf Phase 2). In April we received a bill for a new insurance policy with an added administration fee (they had cancelled our previous policy and obtained a new policy which would cost us significantly more) more upsetting was that they have undertaken a ground rent ‘review’, upping the ground rent from £325 (already significantly higher than most of the buildings in the area) to around £383 a year. Our lease does allow for a ground rent increase in line with RPI every 5 years, though we have correspondence from the previous freeholder stating that they had elected not to increase the ground rent until the next review date in 2017. Pier want to backdate this increase to the previous review date in 2012,! so many residents have received large bills (this is long before they held an interest in the property) and state that they are only acting in accordance with the lease. Through our management company we have sourced a cheaper insurance quote which Pier have agreed to go with. So while I signed and accept the terms of the lease It just feels unacceptable to pay them for a period of time when they held no interest in the property. I just want some sound advice on how to proceed legally.

G_M

Eye strain. Sorry....

andy705

Sorry for the lack of paragraphs, wrote it on my phone.