Freeholder not supplying Management Pack

gab3x

I have accepted an offer from cash buyer for my leashold flat in London four months ago.

My solicitors and I have immediatly requested Management Pack (LPE1 form) from the freeholder.

Four months have passed but freeholder still hasn't provided this. 

My solicitor says he cannot complete the sale without it and that I should try contacting the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to see what I can do to force the Freeholder to comply.

How is this possible? If I lose this sale will I be able to get compensation from the freeholder for it? 

cattie

No you won't be able to get compensation from freeholder. Have you contacted Lease Advice to see if they can help/advise?
https://www.lease-advice.org/

It's possible the current crisis is the reason you've not heard back, I'm assuming your solicitor is making requests via the freeholder's solicitor?

gab3x

"No you won't be able to get compensation from freeholder."
So that means that the freeholder can indefinitely prevent you from selling your property?
I am living in a victorian conversion into three flats and freeholder is a person not a company. My solicitors have been speaking directly to the freeholder.

hazyjo

Are you sure the management pack was requested at the beginning? It's standard to leave it until quite near the end of the buying process.

How have they been contacting the freeholder? You said 'and I' so have you also been contacting them? How? Has anyone actually received any communication from them?

davidmcn

gab3x said:

I am living in a victorian conversion into three flats and freeholder is a person not a company. My solicitors have been speaking directly to the freeholder.

And what is the freeholder saying during these conversations? 

gab3x

Are you sure the management pack was requested at the beginning? It's standard to leave it until quite near the end of the buying process.
Yes, it was requested both by my solicitors and by myself. The whole house buying process started in early February when we accepted an offer on our flat and our offer on a house was accepted. 19th of Feb I am informing the freeholder flat has been sold and that he should watch out for my solicitors requesting Management Pack shortly (which they did via email and CCed me). The freeholder is an older chap and he owns one of the three flats in this building (left empty) so his brother visits sometimes and I have even chased the freeholder via him.

He acknowledged the txt about sale and since then his brother complained that due to COVID the freeholder is very busy and missing couple of pieces of info but that he will get back to me next week - the next week passed by several times.

How have they been contacting the freeholder? You said 'and I' so have you also been contacting them? How? Has anyone actually received any communication from them?
My solicitors have been requesting via email the management pack since February.

gab3x

davidmcn said:

gab3x said:

I am living in a victorian conversion into three flats and freeholder is a person not a company. My solicitors have been speaking directly to the freeholder.

And what is the freeholder saying during these conversations? 

Nothing - ignore. Via his brother I find out he is very busy due to Covid etc and that he will get back to me 'next week' but weeks keep passing by and nothing happens.

davidmcn

If the freeholder isn't in the habit of issuing "management packs", he might need some help to clarify what the queries actually are. You might be able to answer some of them yourself.

gab3x

I am offering help, I am even fine with paying for his solicitor to do it for £200-£300. I just want it done and taking four months is a travesty.