Permission from co freeholder for bathroom

faerielight

Just read an article about a man who had his flat repossessed because he didn’t get permission from the freeholder to redo his kitchen and bathroom.. I’m renovating my bathroom next week, do I need permission from the co freeholder who lives upstairs? I am on the ground floor and co freeholder. Is upstairs. I am putting in a whirlpool bath and shower toilet, underfloor heating, changing tiles and sink but not moving the plumbing .

phill99

What does your lease say?

faerielight

I'll have a look

starving_artist

faerielight wrote: »

Just read an article about a man who had his flat repossessed because he didn’t get permission from the freeholder to redo his kitchen and bathroom..

Do you have a link to the article?

faerielight

The article is here..https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/flat-owner-600000-home-seized-13250657

faerielight

it says: "Alterations
You are not permitted to make any structural or non-structural alterations whatsoever to the property without the landlord’s previous consent. In order to obtain this consent, you must provide the Landlord with all relevant planning and/or building regulations consents and existing and proposed plans. If works are carried out without the landlord’s consent this would amount to a breach of the covenants imposed by the lease. It is very important therefore that you let me know immediately if the current layout of the property differs in any way from that depicted on the plan attached to the lease.

Although the lease does allow for alterations to the Property subject to consent, it is very important that you understand that alterations which involve structural changes to “boundary walls” which are NOT included in the demise, are not alterations which fall within the usual provisions contained in the lease. For example, if your alterations involve any works to the structure of the exterior walls or roof, the Landlord can lawfully refuse permission. You can only lawfully, subject to consent, make structural alterations to your part of the premises and not to the fabric of the building.".

Does any of my renovations class as 'altertions"? thanks

another_casualty

Interesting thread .
The gist I got from the article , was that the leaseholder disputed the charges and refused to pay them . Apparently he caused some damage also . How much , I'm not entirely sure.

I've been living in my leasehold flat for approx 18 months .
When I looked at the flat , I mentioned to the estate agent that I would have a new bathroom and kitchen . The tilng in the bathroom was horribly dated and depressing . The purple lino grubby , and the toilet dated . I managed to be lucky with the builder who I got to put laminate flooring ( placed over the wooden floorboards ,and he placed a couple that were rotting away when he put a new bath and shower .

I kept the builder on and he put a new sink and taps and put a new worktop in . He got me a good deal for carpeting the whole flAt
I got new Lino placed over the remaining one in the kitchen.

I held onto the kitchen cupboards ,but a leak which was disguised only when I put a washing machine in the space meant I had rotting cupboard under the sink. In the end , I got the builder to put new cupboards and chuck all the old stuff away .
The person I purchased the flat from let it out to people n the manky side .
The converted flats are Victorian circa 1900.
Since moving in , I notice a couple up for sale . All of the kitchens and bathrooms look the same ..except mine .
I found out the flats used to be a nursing home .
I didn't think of asking the freeholding company for permission , as I didn't need any structural alterations , just standard stuff imho.
The original features are all "as is " so to speak . Just made more fit to live in . Hopefully , there are no comebacks .
The leasehold company seem fine so far . I just hope the charges don't go up an extortionate amount over the years .
With leaseholds , the rules vary . I hope not much changes where I am . No place is perfect , so we have to make the best of it and pay the annual charges

faerielight

it is interesting, I have never read anything drastic like this regarding forfoeture law before! I think I just got a bit spooked, but that's the nature of scaremongering news!
I feel very sorry for the bloke!Sounds like you have improved your flat I bet it looks lovely, and I'm sure the managing agent will be ok with it. I'm sure this is an isolated case.

It's tough with my co freeholder, she is really difficult, and refuses to give me an email or mobile number, insisting upon notes uner our doors, which to me is insane, and intrusive, especially if she had a leak and I couldn't get hold of her via a note, it's disconcerting, she just blanks me. in person in the hallway. I don't know if she had issues with the last owners, I can't figure her out.

Anyway, I have put a note under her door explaining my renovations, but of course I have no official paper trail, appart from a photocopy, that's all I can do!

another_casualty

faerielight wrote: »

it is interesting, I have never read anything drastic like this regarding forfoeture law before! I think I just got a bit spooked, but that's the nature of scaremongering news!
I feel very sorry for the bloke!Sounds like you have improved your flat I bet it looks lovely, and I'm sure the managing agent will be ok with it. I'm sure this is an isolated case.

It's tough with my co freeholder, she is really difficult, and refuses to give me an email or mobile number, insisting upon notes uner our doors, which to me is insane, and intrusive, especially if she had a leak and I couldn't get hold of her via a note, it's disconcerting, she just blanks me. in person in the hallway. I don't know if she had issues with the last owners, I can't figure her out.

Anyway, I have put a note under her door explaining my renovations, but of course I have no official paper trail, appart from a photocopy, that's all I can do!

Sorry to hear that you have an awkward freeholder .
How does she bill you for service charges ? Is it 6 monthly or annually? If you have an iPad ( not sure if it works on tablet ) , there is an app called "scanner pro" . You can scan stuff and it is saved to your iPad ,and probably iPhone if you have one . Handy if you need to save or email documents .

It's funny with leases as mentioned . In my previous flat , I paid cheap ground rent / service charges ,but the rules were very old and even my solicitor had trouble understanding the archaic rules .
I had to maintain everything myself .
Where I am now , I pay a lot more but ( so far) the block is well maintained .
There is a sinking fund . There are annual meetings .
Not too impressed with the window cleaning tho:rotfl:

faerielight

thanks for the scanning tip, I will do that for all correspondence.
We don't have any official charges as it's just us 2 as the co freeholders and according to my conveyancer, she didn't want a kitty, just to pay when repairs are needed, I own 3/4 of freehold as my flat is double the size of hers. it is beyond frustrating that she refuses to negociate anything relating to the freeholding issues, or talk to me at all. I hear her arguing
and shouting on her phone and with her BF a lot, she clearly has issues, but it is so frustrating that she is a brick wall. I made it clear to her that I would only contact her regarding freehold flat issues, but she insisted on the notes under the door. It forces me to try and second guess her, especially when I don't get a reply, like the note I wrote about the renovations, so I have to presume she is ok with the works.

another_casualty

Maybe her boyfriend is deaf?..or blind as well?:)
I suppose that on the tail end of your letters when you need to contact her , you could ask her to contact you at the first instance if she has any issues /problems. You've probably done that already
Hope things work out .