Leasehold management pack

Rachna_83

I had my offer accepted on a leasehold house. The lease is a long one and nothing concerning.
My solicitor has started the conveyancing process and the vendors solicitor has sent through paperwork. My question is should they be sending a leasehold management pack? They have sent through building insurance info for the house and various property information forms but no pack as such.

user1977

What information is lacking from what they have sent?

Rachna_83

They have said they won't approach the freeholder with regards to any covenants breached.
They have not yet provided anything from freeholder to say all payments are up to date and nothing outstanding and no up to date ground rent statements. 
I think I was expecting a pack to be provided by the freeholder as opposed to the vendor sending what they can. 

eddddy

It's usual for the seller's solicitor to provide a Leasehold Management Pack provided by the freeholder (or the freeholder's managing agent). It's often in the form of an LPE1 form.

For info, you can download a blank LPE1 form here to see what it looks like:   https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/property/leasehold-forms

It may be that the freeholder hasn't provided the LPE1 yet, which is why you haven't received it. Reasons might include:

• The freeholder is slow at doing it. (The freeholder gets no benefit from the sale/purchase, so they have no real incentive to do it quickly.)

• The freeholder is asking for an extortionate fee for the LPE1, so the seller is arguing about it.

• The freeholder is being 'difficult' or 'amateurish' and doesn't want to provide an LPE1. This might happen when a 'random person' buys a freehold. (Unfortunately, the freeholder isn't legally required to provide an LPE1 if they don't want to.)

Even if you were happy to proceed without an LPE1, a mortgage lender probably wouldn't be.


It might just be a short delay - so nothing to worry about. But if it starts to emerge that the freeholder is 'difficult' to deal with, maybe that's something you should take into account in your purchasing decision. (But it's probably much too early to jump to that conclusion yet.)

Rachna_83

Thanks. Yes an LPE1 has been provided though it says additional property information form and it's been filled in by the seller not freeholder. My solicitor has requested and raised specific info to be provided by freeholder but not sure how long it will take.

eddddy

Rachna_83 said:

Thanks. Yes an LPE1 has been provided though it says additional property information form and it's been filled in by the seller not freeholder. My solicitor has requested and raised specific info to be provided by freeholder but not sure how long it will take.

I'm not quite sure what you mean.

Are you saying that you've received a form with the title "Leasehold Property Enquiries LPE1" - but you think it's been filled in by the seller?

The last page of an LPE1 form would have box like this - if the seller filled in the form, which box did they tick?




Or are you saying that you've received a completely different form called an "Additional Property Information Form" or perhaps a "Leasehold Information Form TA7" from the seller?

If that's the case, it sounds like you haven't received an LPE1 form. Are you saying that the freeholder (or their agent) is refusing to fill in an LPE1 and is sending the information in a different format?

Rachna_83

Ah I see what you mean. I have received a form titled additional information form which is similar questions to the TA7. I am going to have to ask the solicitor regarding the LPE1 as I don't have that and I don't know if it has been requested.