Shared freehold/satellite dish question

SkibaM76

Hi all - apologies if this isn't the right place for this (I'm new round here but was told this could be a good place for advice on this so hoping someone can help!)

We recently bought and moved into a flat which is the ground floor of a house converted into two flats. We own 50% of the freehold, and the owners of the flat above own the other 50%. We've generally got on with them so far, so hoping this won't become an issue anyway, but we just wanted to see where we stand before we raise the issue (if indeed we need to).

We're going to be getting Sky TV installed soon in our flat. There currently aren't any satellite dishes on the property (the previous owners of our flat didn't have it and they don't have it upstairs either). Our question really is one of etiquette but also of knowing where we stand in terms of the freehold if it were to become messy.

We're assuming the sensible thing to do is to politely ask if they would have any issue with us installing a satellite dish on the property - noting that we'll do what we can to ensure it isn't in too unsightly a place/blocking any of their windows etc. However we are concerned about where we stand if they (touch wood they won't, and probably won't) object to this.

We've been looking over our Freehold documents to see if there are any sections relevant to this, and can't find anything specific, but there are a few sections that could possibly be applied to it in a broad sense - unfortunately, as these things are, it's written in legal jargon (with the added complication that we are both freeholders and leaseholders to each other, so always fun trying to decipher!) so I'm struggling to get my head around it.

I've attached photos of the sections that I believe could apply, as I was hoping someone here might be good at translating! Or possibly have been in a similar situation?

Any advice greatly appreciated!
Many thanks.

davidmcn

That bit appears to be the leaseholder's obligations - anything about rights they have e.g. to erect aerials?

theartfullodger

Regardless of any lease/paperwork issues saying it's OK or not, simply raise the subject with your esteemed neighbours.  Perhaps offer a shared dish with cables for them also (ie a carrot..)

You need to get on with these people for the foreseeable and when you come to sell do not want to have to declare a disagreement , I would 'umbly submit.

eddddy

To be on the safe side, maybe aim to do the following:  Write a document which gives you, as a leaseholder, consent to put up a dish - with the document signed by both joint freeholders.

Then, when you sell the property, there should be no argument about whether you need, and have, freeholder consent for the dish. (Bearing in mind, that if the other flat is sold first, you will end up with a new joint freeholder - who might refuse to sign a consent document later on.)

Also, maybe double check for any planning consent requirements:  https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/48/satellitetv_and_radio_antenna