Can one household be responsible for claiming ground rent?

Bigfradz

When we purchased our house both parties solicitors could not track the landlord for ground rent. A neighbor has now said they are responsible for collecting several properties ground rent on behalf of the property company.

Can a company make one house collect the others? Also they are claiming 15 years (we have been here 10) am I correct in thinking the maximum that can be claimed is 6 years?

glentoran99

I think the neighbour is pulling a scam

AnotherJoe

What does the documentation they have provided show?

Guest101

I agree, I'd simply ask them for proof of claim.

Chanes

I would echo - they must have some proof?

System

You have a right to know your freeholder/managing agent and I wouldn't deal with anyone else

If you have an absent freeholder your property would be hard to mortgage I'd imagine

System

I wonder if given long enough you could claim adverse possession of the freehold...

eddddy

Is the Ground Rent Demand in the 'prescribed format'?
See: http://www.lease-advice.org/article/ground-rent-a-demanding-notice/

As you say, ground rent arrears can only be collected for up to 6 years.

The demand should include the landlord's (freeholder's) name and address, so perhaps contact them to ensure that the 'agent' has their authority to collect the ground rent.



(TBH, it's quite possible that your neighbour devised a legitimate scheme to make a bit of cash. E.g. the neighbour contacted the freeholder and said "Let me collect the ground rent arrears as your agent - I'll give you 50% and keep 50% for myself")

Giddypip

My mum lives in a terraced property built around 1890, her house is responsible for collecting the ground rent for 3 or 4 of the properties in the terrace and sending to the freeholder. This is an extremely old agreement and the total ground rent for all the properties involved is less than £6 per year.

amateur_house

The deeds to my house, built in the early 1900s, say that we are responsible for collecting ground rent from the rest of the street. We've been here 20 years and have never collected it, and I wouldn't know who to pay it to if we did.

Bigfradz

AnotherJoe wrote: »

What does the documentation they have provided show?

It was just a hand written letter with a promise of proof if required. Didn't trust it but wasn't sure if this sort of thing can even be done.