Query with freehold service charge

Emmy83

I currently own 50% of my house but am stair-casing and selling as 100% and therefore freehold.

I pay £96 a month service charge for items such as ground maintenance, block maintenance, a reserve fund, fire, audit, management fees and health and safety. The service charge has gone from £20 a month to £96 a month in 3 years (the increase seems to have come from the sudden introduction of ‘block charges’ and a reserve fund). 

The management company have confirmed that once freehold the service charge will remain at £96 a month. 

Within my lease it states that any service charges should cease once the road is adopted by the local council. The road was adopted by the council in 1993, and they maintain the roads and bushes. I’m assuming the management company still maintain the flats (there are no other common areas on the road). 

The other half of my house (I’m in a semi) used to be leasehold but they bought the freehold around 15 years ago. They only pay £20 a month service charge. Another freehold property pays nothing, and another pays the full £96. 

Am I wrong in thinking it doesn’t seem correct that these charges will still apply once freehold, given what my lease says? I’ve asked the management company for a breakdown of what they have spent this financial year and have been ignored. They have also ignored all the emails I have sent querying this huge jump in service charge. 

loubel

If your lease states that the only service charges you are liable for are for road maintenance then it does sound like something isn't right. You'll need to check the exact wording of the lease though - although, as you are selling, presumably it will be your buyer who wants to know what they will be paying for?