Bought property but no communal maintenance

leonj

There is no managing agent, hence no service charge.  No one is maintaining the building except the residents themselves if they choose to.  There are some flats near me in this situation, they are have got pretty run down over the years.. I would always worry if the roof starts leaking or something

TeaAndToast_2

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

It less unusual for two flats behind one communal door not to be cleaned as part of an MA s responsibility.

Many years ago I rented a ground floor flat which was exactly like this. Looked like a row of houses but behind each door were two flats and a flight of stairs.

No one except us maintained the stairway  

As above though the deeds will determine responsibility 

That said the MA must know who employs them. Is it a residents committee?

MA?  There's a few flats above a row of shops accessed by 1 communal door. The solicitor did say we were responsible for maintaining the parking space. I'm more worried about what happens if there's damage to the building moreso than cleaning.

The company managing the outside green  area has been the same for many years as I live nearby and pay them.  They do manage another building in the development but not this one.  If the deeds list a management company that's not in place.... is it our fault for not digging deeper or does the solicitor have a responsibility to make sure there is?

Sorry Managing Agent (MA).

There must be a freeholder if the flats are above shops and these details should be in the deeds and sales pack.

You should have been provided statements of accounts etc as part of the sale where this sort of thing would have shown up. I.e. not paying for internal cleaning. The buildings insurance would show on there though

We were told they would be sending us a letter once the new owner was on the land and property registry.

TeaAndToast_2

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

It less unusual for two flats behind one communal door not to be cleaned as part of an MA s responsibility.

Many years ago I rented a ground floor flat which was exactly like this. Looked like a row of houses but behind each door were two flats and a flight of stairs.

No one except us maintained the stairway  

As above though the deeds will determine responsibility 

That said the MA must know who employs them. Is it a residents committee?

MA?  There's a few flats above a row of shops accessed by 1 communal door. The solicitor did say we were responsible for maintaining the parking space. I'm more worried about what happens if there's damage to the building moreso than cleaning.

The company managing the outside green  area has been the same for many years as I live nearby and pay them.  They do manage another building in the development but not this one.  If the deeds list a management company that's not in place.... is it our fault for not digging deeper or does the solicitor have a responsibility to make sure there is?

Sorry Managing Agent (MA).

There must be a freeholder if the flats are above shops and these details should be in the deeds and sales pack.

You should have been provided statements of accounts etc as part of the sale where this sort of thing would have shown up. I.e. not paying for internal cleaning. The buildings insurance would show on there though

We were told the management company and the price, but the company we were told covers doesn't cover the building, just the grass cutting.  They don't seem to know who does the building if anyone does at all after 2 weeks.  This would have been a red flag to me at the time.

HampshireH

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

It less unusual for two flats behind one communal door not to be cleaned as part of an MA s responsibility.

Many years ago I rented a ground floor flat which was exactly like this. Looked like a row of houses but behind each door were two flats and a flight of stairs.

No one except us maintained the stairway  

As above though the deeds will determine responsibility 

That said the MA must know who employs them. Is it a residents committee?

MA?  There's a few flats above a row of shops accessed by 1 communal door. The solicitor did say we were responsible for maintaining the parking space. I'm more worried about what happens if there's damage to the building moreso than cleaning.

The company managing the outside green  area has been the same for many years as I live nearby and pay them.  They do manage another building in the development but not this one.  If the deeds list a management company that's not in place.... is it our fault for not digging deeper or does the solicitor have a responsibility to make sure there is?

Sorry Managing Agent (MA).

There must be a freeholder if the flats are above shops and these details should be in the deeds and sales pack.

You should have been provided statements of accounts etc as part of the sale where this sort of thing would have shown up. I.e. not paying for internal cleaning. The buildings insurance would show on there though

We were told the management company and the price, but the company we were told covers doesn't cover the building, just the grass cutting.  They don't seem to know who does the building if anyone does at all after 2 weeks.  This would have been a red flag to me at the time.

Then contact the freeholder. They will know who they employ to do what.

The deeds will outline their responsibility and your relatives. 

Sounds like a right mess and it should have been confirmed before purchasing but the solicitor will only ask the questions they are asked to ask outside of the usual stuff.

The communal area sounds self managed that bit is easy fix. The insurance isn't an easy fix and is more important. 

RHemmings

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

It less unusual for two flats behind one communal door not to be cleaned as part of an MA s responsibility.

Many years ago I rented a ground floor flat which was exactly like this. Looked like a row of houses but behind each door were two flats and a flight of stairs.

No one except us maintained the stairway  

As above though the deeds will determine responsibility 

That said the MA must know who employs them. Is it a residents committee?

MA?  There's a few flats above a row of shops accessed by 1 communal door. The solicitor did say we were responsible for maintaining the parking space. I'm more worried about what happens if there's damage to the building moreso than cleaning.

The company managing the outside green  area has been the same for many years as I live nearby and pay them.  They do manage another building in the development but not this one.  If the deeds list a management company that's not in place.... is it our fault for not digging deeper or does the solicitor have a responsibility to make sure there is?

Sorry Managing Agent (MA).

There must be a freeholder if the flats are above shops and these details should be in the deeds and sales pack.

You should have been provided statements of accounts etc as part of the sale where this sort of thing would have shown up. I.e. not paying for internal cleaning. The buildings insurance would show on there though

We were told they would be sending us a letter once the new owner was on the land and property registry.

Are you saying that the freehold has just been sold, but the new owner of the freehold is not yet on the title deeds for the freehold? Who told you this, and can you ask them to tell you who the freeholder is? 

TeaAndToast_2

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

It less unusual for two flats behind one communal door not to be cleaned as part of an MA s responsibility.

Many years ago I rented a ground floor flat which was exactly like this. Looked like a row of houses but behind each door were two flats and a flight of stairs.

No one except us maintained the stairway  

As above though the deeds will determine responsibility 

That said the MA must know who employs them. Is it a residents committee?

MA?  There's a few flats above a row of shops accessed by 1 communal door. The solicitor did say we were responsible for maintaining the parking space. I'm more worried about what happens if there's damage to the building moreso than cleaning.

The company managing the outside green  area has been the same for many years as I live nearby and pay them.  They do manage another building in the development but not this one.  If the deeds list a management company that's not in place.... is it our fault for not digging deeper or does the solicitor have a responsibility to make sure there is?

Sorry Managing Agent (MA).

There must be a freeholder if the flats are above shops and these details should be in the deeds and sales pack.

You should have been provided statements of accounts etc as part of the sale where this sort of thing would have shown up. I.e. not paying for internal cleaning. The buildings insurance would show on there though

We were told the management company and the price, but the company we were told covers doesn't cover the building, just the grass cutting.  They don't seem to know who does the building if anyone does at all after 2 weeks.  This would have been a red flag to me at the time.

Then contact the freeholder. They will know who they employ to do what.

The deeds will outline their responsibility and your relatives. 

Sounds like a right mess and it should have been confirmed before purchasing but the solicitor will only ask the questions they are asked to ask outside of the usual stuff.

The communal area sounds self managed that bit is easy fix. The insurance isn't an easy fix and is more important. 

I was told by the solicitor that the common areas are the responsibility of the developer who hasn't signed over yet.  The developer who I was directed to by the solicitor said that it wasn't them.  I called a very similar name exchanging homes for houses with a ltd added.  They said that the company demerged years ago so couldn't help and said it might be the first management company I had called which it isn't.

RHemmings

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

TeaAndToast_2 said:

HampshireH said:

It less unusual for two flats behind one communal door not to be cleaned as part of an MA s responsibility.

Many years ago I rented a ground floor flat which was exactly like this. Looked like a row of houses but behind each door were two flats and a flight of stairs.

No one except us maintained the stairway  

As above though the deeds will determine responsibility 

That said the MA must know who employs them. Is it a residents committee?

MA?  There's a few flats above a row of shops accessed by 1 communal door. The solicitor did say we were responsible for maintaining the parking space. I'm more worried about what happens if there's damage to the building moreso than cleaning.

The company managing the outside green  area has been the same for many years as I live nearby and pay them.  They do manage another building in the development but not this one.  If the deeds list a management company that's not in place.... is it our fault for not digging deeper or does the solicitor have a responsibility to make sure there is?

Sorry Managing Agent (MA).

There must be a freeholder if the flats are above shops and these details should be in the deeds and sales pack.

You should have been provided statements of accounts etc as part of the sale where this sort of thing would have shown up. I.e. not paying for internal cleaning. The buildings insurance would show on there though

We were told the management company and the price, but the company we were told covers doesn't cover the building, just the grass cutting.  They don't seem to know who does the building if anyone does at all after 2 weeks.  This would have been a red flag to me at the time.

Then contact the freeholder. They will know who they employ to do what.

The deeds will outline their responsibility and your relatives. 

Sounds like a right mess and it should have been confirmed before purchasing but the solicitor will only ask the questions they are asked to ask outside of the usual stuff.

The communal area sounds self managed that bit is easy fix. The insurance isn't an easy fix and is more important. 

I was told by the solicitor that the common areas are the responsibility of the developer who hasn't signed over yet.  The developer who I was directed to by the solicitor said that it wasn't them.  I called a very similar name exchanging homes for houses with a ltd added.  They said that the company demerged years ago so couldn't help and said it might be the first management company I had called which it isn't.

What does it say on the deeds/documents that you have, or the freehold on the Land Registry, as to who the freeholder is? You appear to be going around in circles and need to find out where the buck stops. If the freehold has recently been sold, then that complicates things. But, can you ascertain who is the freeholder given the current versions of the documents?  

TeaAndToast_2

Eventually found out who it was..... It was taken over by the tenants association type thing that nobody seemed to know about.

RHemmings

Can you find the tenants association on Companies House? It may have been incorporated, or it may not have been. But, it costs nothing to look. You could try searching on the postcode of the property. 

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/