Left leasehold but just received bill?

wksd

Hi there,

We sold our leasehold, completing on 26th March this year. During March we received a service charge bill for 2020/21 (March-March). As per our exchange letter from solicitors we were told to stop paying any bills, the bill wasn't due until end of March so we didn't pay. The bill from management company to our solicitor said we owed £0. 

I have just received an email saying the money is overdue, what should we do? 
This company is notoriously known to be dodgy (Eagerstates) so I want to grasp best actions. 
I can speak to the solicitors but the one I was in contact with for the sale and purchase has been made redundant now.

Thanks.

davidmcn

wksd said:

I have just received an email saying the money is overdue, what should we do? 

Tell them what you've told us and ask them to check? Probably just a c0ck-up in their credit control dept.

wksd

davidmcn said:

wksd said:

I have just received an email saying the money is overdue, what should we do? 

Tell them what you've told us and ask them to check? Probably just a c0ck-up in their credit control dept.

I know that's the obvious thing but these guys are notorious. Especially as the new leaseholder paid the year upfront on exchange.

eddddy

Contact the management company and explain - make sure that you emphasise that completion happened on 26th March, and payment was due on 31st March.

That means that you haven't breached a covenant in the lease by not paying the service charge.

(Had payment been due on the 25th March, for example, and you hadn't paid - you would have been breaching a covenant in your lease, so the situation could have been more complicated. 

Although, having just seen your second post, you say the service charge has been paid by the new owner anyway, so there shouldn't be a problem at all.) 

snickpan

contact maintenance company and your conveyancers

greatcrested

As above, but do it in writing. A nice old fashioned letter.