Advice on the leasehold to my property please

EN111

Hello, I was wondering if anyone here can give me a little bit of advice.
I have my own home with mortgage. I've lived here for 18 years. I have to pay a very small amount annually for ground rent. (Less than £1 per year, which I paid every 2 years)
The company I was paying have sold the lease onto a property management company who appear very "corporate".
They are demanding that I fill out a complex form with all my mortgage and insurance details with copies of paperwork, plus they want to know all alterations which have been made to the house. (We have an inside toilet so that means that some alterations have been made since building, plus some modifications were made some years before I bought it). And, demand a fee of £120 should I wish to make any alterations to my home.
Also, rather than paying 2 yearly they want paying every 6 months
So, my questions.
1) Do I have to tell them my mortgage/insurance details? Am I legally obliged or can I just ignore the form?
2) Do I really have to tell them about any renovations I may plan in the future, and pay for the privilege?
3) What would be a fair offer for this lease? It's 999 years and already over 100 years in. They get pennies a year from this, and if they are billing me 6 monthly, factoring in costs of postage and admin they will be losing money!

G_M

EN111 wrote: »

They are demanding that I fill out a complex form with all my mortgage and insurance details with copies of paperwork,
What does your lease say about this?
plus they want to know all alterations which have been made to the house. (We have an inside toilet so that means that some alterations have been made since building, plus some modifications were made some years before I bought it).
Assuming you've done none yourself, write back saying 'not known'.
And, demand a fee of £120 should I wish to make any alterations to my home.
That's faily normal. They have to pay a surveyor or similar to check the plans
Also, rather than paying 2 yearly they want paying every 6 months
What does your lease say about this?
So, my questions.
1) Do I have to tell them my mortgage/insurance details? Am I legally obliged or can I just ignore the form?See above
2) Do I really have to tell them about any renovations I may plan in the future, and pay for the privilege?Probably, but read your lease.
3) What would be a fair offer for this lease? It's 999 years and already over 100 years in. They get pennies a year from this, and if they are billing me 6 monthly, factoring in costs of postage and admin they will be losing money!

House or flat?

Read leaseadvice.

EN111

It's a terraced house. Built around 130 years ago.
I don't have my lease, nor do I know how to get hold of it. I vaguely remember the solicitor running through it and there being something in it about not being allowed to keep pigs, but that, I'm afraid is all.
The two previous companies I have paid have never asked anything of me.
I'm still not sure why they want the details. It surely can't be worth it financially. (I could understand if we were paying big bucks, but not a few pence)

bouicca21

I suspect because unauthorised alterations will lead to some kind of financial penalty.

Get a copy of your lease ASAP.

EN111

Any idea where I'd get it? How can this company penalise me financially if the previous leaseholders haven't bothered whether the house has been modified?

G_M

Land Registry may have a copy.

So might your solicitor.

Failing that, try the attic. Box under the stairs? Maybe behind a radiator....

EN111

The solicitor we used to buy the house no longer exists. Any paperwork I have is just basic mortgage stuff. I'm quite organised, so no boxes in the attic!
I'll have to try the land registry.

eddddy

As suggested, it would be ideal to get a copy of the lease,

Additionally/alternatively, you could try writing a "prove it" letter to the freeholder.

i.e. Ask them to tell you which clauses they are relying on in the lease, and ask them to provide copies of those clauses as proof that you must comply.

G_M

EN111 wrote: »

The solicitor we used to buy the house no longer exists. .

Read:

http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/solicitor-closed-down.page

Nobbie1967

Sounds to me like they've bought the rights to collect ground rent and are now going to try and make some money out of it by charging for all alterations that have been made before now and also hope that you forget to pay the ground rent every 6 months so that they can then charge you a 'late fee' and 'legal fees'. Put a reminder in your diary as I think you'll find that their bill which would remind you to pay will go missing;)

EN111

I've phoned them again today and spoken to someone slightly more sensible who says that they "probably won't" chase the money until it goes over £5 arrears, but I'll not risk it. I'll save my coppers and pay regularly!
I'm not going to fill out the form. I'll see if they chase me for it.
All major alterations (inside bathroom/double glazing/extension) were done long before I bought the place, and so I'm not taking any responsibility for permissions that may or may not have been requested/granted, and alterations that were, in part, made before I was even born.