Want To Buy A House, But Multiple Houses Under One Title. Can the title be split?

Mortgage_advice_please

I put an offer in on a house and it was accepted before Christmas, my solicitor after nearly 3 months has just told me that the house which i thought was Leasehold actually isnt, but that it is Freehold and that the Title includes FIVE other properties in the freehold, 2 have been separated and now have their own titles, leaving the house i want to buy and 2 others. The solicitor has just told me that this is a minefield, as i would be the landlord for the other two properties which are leasehold and if it were him, he would NOT purchase this house, he has also now said that he is unwilling to progress any further with this purchase as its too much work and it would cost a fortune !!!! I am completely confused by all of this and now that my solicitor has given up, Im left wondering, should i just bail out also. I am looking for any advice as to whether i can separate the title and just own the house i wish to buy and how much fees might cost? ANY HELP AT ALL WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. 

loubel

Of course you can ask to just buy the freehold to your house. Not sure why your solicitor is making such a big deal of this. 

Mortgage_advice_please

He seemed to suggest that I would be the Freeholder for the other properties and had to purchase the title as such and to split the title was a huge amount of work and cost. Im not sure if he didnt want the job and thats why he was saying all these things to put me off, but its worried me that i will incur lots of costs to split the title or if i remain the Freeholder for the other houses, then i will be liable as a landlord.

user1977

You don't need to be the freeholder for the other properties. But if your solicitor isn't capable of even explaining this to you without you having to resort to the likes of us, perhaps you need a different solicitor..

Mortgage_advice_please

He said that the title states that i would be the Freeholder for the properties and that this is how the vendors solicitor is selling the title and if i were to split the title this is where the cost and labour kicks in

Mortgage_advice_please

Maybe this picture helps 

loubel

That's what the current set up is and if the seller isn't prepared to split the titles and keep the other freeholds then you won't be able to just buy the one you want. Have you asked the seller?

If you buy the whole lot then you'll need to pay your solicitor to advise you on your responsibilities under the leases. If the title is split then you'd need to pay for that instead (although it would be drafted by the seller's solicitor). Neither should be overly complex or expensive.

HampshireH

I expect when the other 2 were sold they insisted on the split and that is why they now own their own freeholds.

You could ask for the same. Complicated by the fact that this property deeds holds the freehold to the rest but its not unachievable 

Hoenir

Remember your solicitor is also the mortgage lenders. They have the final say as to what's acceptable to them in order to part with the monies to purchase the property. You'll be liable for their additional legal costs as well. 

BeerSavesMoney

@Mortgage_advice_please - check that screenshot you uploaded, the title of the open file may contain your name?

sheramber

If the house you want to buy owns the other two freeholds and you split them who would then own these two freeholds?