Lease History

Janzzz

Dear all,

is there any kind of the 'office', where I can find when and for how long the previous owners of flat I live in bought the lease?

I live in the flat which was build in 1936, I looked at my current lease which is dated 1982 for 90years. ...I'm trying to find if the flat was really sold with a very short lease in 1936?

We have problems with freeholders and we (leasholders) think there is something strange going on.... so, if I can find the history of the lease / freehold we might find the it. Or not, I might be wrong.

I just don't know if there is any way to find the records of lease extensions or freeholds or under what circumstances it had been sold back in 1936 and so on.

Thank you very much

bouicca21

I can work out the history of extension by looking at my lease and associated documentation. I also know that a neighbour decided to extend his to 99 years rather than add 99 to the existing term. Presumably that was the cheaper option at the time.

Janzzz

bouicca21 wrote: »

I can work out the history of extension by looking at my lease and associated documentation. I also know that a neighbour decided to extend his to 99 years rather than add 99 to the existing term. Presumably that was the cheaper option at the time.

Thank you. I was hoping there is another way to see the previous leasehold.

Hoploz

Was it you who bought the flat with the 90 year lease in 1982? Or have you bought in since then? You would have bought the lease as it stood when you bought ... Whatever length and terms applied in the lease were all agreed to as part of the purchase, surely.

What is the issue you are having problems with?

eddddy

Janzzz wrote: »

I live in the flat which was build in 1936, I looked at my current lease which is dated 1982 for 90years. ...I'm trying to find if the flat was really sold with a very short lease in 1936?

There may not have been any lease prior to 1982.

The building might have been a single family house (or guest house or something else) prior to 1982. The 1980s were boom years for converting large houses into flats.

Or perhaps the building was owned by a one landlord who rented out the individual flats.

Janzzz wrote: »

We have problems with freeholders and we (leasholders) think there is something strange going on.... so, if I can find the history of the lease / freehold we might find the it. Or not, I might be wrong.

What are you hoping that you might find out?

Any previous leases on the property won't impact the lease that you have bought.

Janzzz wrote: »

I just don't know if there is any way to find the records of lease extensions or freeholds or under what circumstances it had been sold back in 1936 and so on.

FWIW, 'Lease Extensions' didn't really happen until The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 gave leaseholders the statutory right to extend their leases.

They came about largely as a result of all the Victorian houses that were converted to flats in the 1970s and 1980s with 99 year leases.

bouicca21

As I understand it from the OP's other post, he bought the flat with a shortish lease, failed to extend and now has an even shorter one. He didn't understand the implications of possessing a short lease and is facing eye watering renewal costs. He thinks that somehow knowing the back history of the lease will help. It won't.

G_M

Sigh!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5836727/what-are-my-rights-please-help-we-shouldnt-get-a-mortgage-in-a-first-place

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=74202521&postcount=152

The lease is what it is. That's what you bought. The legal arrangements of the property before the current lease was created are irrelevant.

Janzzz

eddddy wrote: »

There may not have been any lease prior to 1982.

The building might have been a single family house (or guest house or something else) prior to 1982. The 1980s were boom years for converting large houses into flats.

Or perhaps the building was owned by a one landlord who rented out the individual flats.

What are you hoping that you might find out?

Any previous leases on the property won't impact the lease that you have bought.

FWIW, 'Lease Extensions' didn't really happen until The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 gave leaseholders the statutory right to extend their leases.

They came about largely as a result of all the Victorian houses that were converted to flats in the 1970s and 1980s with 99 year leases.

Thank you very much for your reply @eddddy
We are in the building with 85 flats. I'll have to check the history.
We are trying to find out is the lease was really extended back in 80' because the documentation looks a bit dodgy.
Thank you

Janzzz

bouicca21 wrote: »

As I understand it from the OP's other post, he bought the flat with a shortish lease, failed to extend and now has an even shorter one. He didn't understand the implications of possessing a short lease and is facing eye watering renewal costs. He thinks that somehow knowing the back history of the lease will help. It won't.

Just a note: True, however, I would like to add something - I'm not the only one in our building. We are just trying to get as much information as possible because there is unfortunately complete distrust between leasholders and freeholder.
So, we would like to look at everything that might help us. I know this is very unlikely, but you never know.

Janzzz

G_M wrote: »

Sigh!
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5836727/what-are-my-rights-please-help-we-shouldnt-get-a-mortgage-in-a-first-place
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=74202521&postcount=152
The lease is what it is. That's what you bought. The legal arrangements of the property before the current lease was created are irrelevant.

Thank you for your reply