Headlease & Under lease query

Latician1977

My property holds the head lease for the cul-de-sac I live in. There are 5 other properties with under leases. Since we moved in in 2017 we have been paying ground rent to a local agent (within walking distance) collecting on behalf of the lease holder. We have recently received correspondence from another person "N Berry" that has acquired the right to collect the ground rent, he is based in another part of the country and so has instructed us as owners of the head lease so collect everyone's ground rent and send it to him. I am happy this falls within my responsibilities as head lease owner/is a legal acquisition and it's no mither as all the neighbours are happy to pay it and previously paid a former owner of my house in the same way. What I would like to ask is
1/ Am I liable for an outstanding payment one of the houses has after the previous owners sold and moved without making sure they where up to date???
 2/ N Berry is asking me to "arrange for service of notice of assignment to himself in the prescribed format and his fee is £20. What does this mean??

Thanks a lot

Mortgage_advice_please

Latician1977 said:

My property holds the head lease for the cul-de-sac I live in. There are 5 other properties with under leases. Since we moved in in 2017 we have been paying ground rent to a local agent (within walking distance) collecting on behalf of the lease holder. We have recently received correspondence from another person "N Berry" that has acquired the right to collect the ground rent, he is based in another part of the country and so has instructed us as owners of the head lease so collect everyone's ground rent and send it to him. I am happy this falls within my responsibilities as head lease owner/is a legal acquisition and it's no mither as all the neighbours are happy to pay it and previously paid a former owner of my house in the same way. What I would like to ask is
1/ Am I liable for an outstanding payment one of the houses has after the previous owners sold and moved without making sure they where up to date???
 2/ N Berry is asking me to "arrange for service of notice of assignment to himself in the prescribed format and his fee is £20. What does this mean??

Thanks a lot

Did you ever manage to find out if you were liable and what the "Service of Notice of Assignment" also means? Do you have any other obligations? I ask all this as im about to purchase a house and have been told my property will also be the Head Lease and have underleases and Im worried that i will have lots of responsibilities and duties, possibly insurances, notices, information sharing etc... Id be super grateful if you could share anything you have found out. 

MWT

Mortgage_advice_please said:

Did you ever manage to find out if you were liable...

They joined, made that one post and never returned, so may be a long wait...