bought a house as freehold but now told its leasehold, 18 years later!

Steveccull

Myself and ex-partner bought a house in 1999 which was advertised as freehold, went through the solicitor as freehold, says on the mortgage paperwork it's freehold, and had no one chasing us for ground rent. Now we want to sell the house we've been told it's leasehold but I'm adamant it's freehold. We bought the house from wimpey homes who had taken the house as partex on one of their properties, there was 55 years left on the lease back then. The solicitor who dealt with the sale is no longer practicing and the building society now says it's leasehold but can't produce the paperwork that was with the sale of the house. We've been now told the house is unsaleable due to the short lease, 37 years, I'm feeling thoroughly ripped off, but think the sale of leasehold paperwork has been lost somewhere, else why hasn't the leaseholder been wanting their groundrent?? Help!!

AnotherJoe

You are going to need a solicitor not a forum.

davidmcn

Who's told you it's leasehold? Have you actually seen the title deeds? Have you checked who owns the freehold?

stator

Well, have you looked at your deeds or do the bank have custody of them?

Steveccull

According to the land registry it's leasehold, but at the time the house was advertised and sold as freehold. We even remortgaged with nothing being said about being leasehold. We're now chasing the building society to see the deeds to the house but they're fobbing us off at the minute just not being bothered to do anything about it, but when we saw the solicitor for buying the house it went through as freehold, we wouldn't have bought it otherwise!

Harryp_24

are you sure its not leasehold with you being the freeholder?

unforeseen

You say that when you bought it there was 55 years left on the lease.
So it was leasehold when you bought it. Was somebody (Wimpey?) supposed to have changed it to freehold as part of the sale?

da_rule

There should be two titles attached to the property (one leasehold and one freehold). If you go on to the Land Registry, each one will cost you £3. Buy them both and check that you don't own the freehold as well.