Appeal dismissed by IAS

Snakes_Belly

Thank you for your reply. I have been trying to get my head around the ownership of the land and it's quite complex. Just to give you some background the building (hotel) is an old grain warehouse that would have originally belonged to the railway. On the same site there are offices, workshops and a sandwich shop as well as car parking. These are all subject to individual leases.

As part of a restructure the lease to this Travelodge was put up for sale but would still continue with the Travelodge name. Some of hotels that were sold are now operated on a franchise basis. Within the sale of the lease income from the associated buildings and the car park were itemised in the projected income. The sale of the lease split the sale price into sale of the hotel lease and sale of associated leases. 'We are seeking offers in excess of £3,150,000 in respect of the Travelodge income. With regards to the remaining income and potential income of £55,000 we are seeking an additional £520,000'. The Excel lease is included in the £55,000 additional income.

I know what you are saying though because I have assumed that whoever purchased the Hotel lease would have purchased the rest but they may not have done. I also think (from looking at accounts) that the sale of the lease was not by the landowner but by the existing leaseholder (Travelodge UK Ltd ).

Just to further complicate matters at the back of the building there are car parking bays next to each other that belong to different operators, Station in white and Excel in yellow. Different machines on the same car park.

If and when they take me to court I think I will get the information from the Land Registry to see who really owns this land. Originally it would have belonged to the railway. Workshops are actually in the arches of the railway bridge.

System

I think I will get the information from the Land Registry to see who really owns this land.

LR tells you who owns but rates (Non-Domestic Rates) tells you who occupies. Occupiers usually are the ones that hire PPC's. In any event, most Excel sites it is Excel that pays the rates as occupiers.

Snakes_Belly

Thanks for your help. I have checked the post code for business rates and cannot see the car park mentioned. Everything else has a rateable value, Hotel, workshops, stores, arches etc. The Travelodge is listed as Hotel and Premises.

The following was taken from the sale document. Excel Parking Services 10 year lease from Feb/March £20,000 per annum, 95 spaces. The income forms part of the overall projected income for the Travelodge. Does having a lease mean that there is a proprietary interest or do they still require authority from the landowner to pursue the claim?

nosferatu1001

Just give the councils NDR dept a call. theyre not uslaly as busy as CT depts so can answer the phone 1 in 2 goes...

Get onto that MP complaint, today. Stop prevaricating on that. Get it in motion.

Snakes_Belly

nostferatu10, I have telephoned the NDR department today and they have no record of Excel occupying the car park. The person that I spoke to thought that the car park was part of the Travelodge.

Just as a matter of interest regarding Excel and faulty equipment I read some comments from employees and ex employees of Excel. Simon Renshaw-Smith is not exactly George Cadbury. I actually started to feel sorry for the employees. At least I only got a parking ticket.

nosferatu1001

They will know, for a fact, who pays rates on that car park.

Snakes_Belly

They have no record of Excel paying NDR on that postcode.

Le_Kirk

Snakes_Belly wrote: »

They have no record of Excel paying NDR on that postcode.

nosferatu1001 wrote: »

They will know, for a fact, who pays rates on that car park.

Then who does? should be the next question.

Snakes_Belly

It must be the Travelodge because on the Government site that lists all the rateable values within that postcode the Travelodge is the only possible property and is described as Hotel and Premises. The Travelodge is leased. It no longer belongs to Travelodge but still retains the name. More like a franchise.

This Travelodge has a contract with Excel but I am not sure of the nature of the contract/lease as I have only seen this information in an estate agent's brochure. The initial contract with Excel would have been with Travelodge UK Ltd.

nosferatu1001

Just ask the council the specific question asked above. Dont guess. Dont assume.