Odd Demand For Money From New Freeholder

manyamuckle

Just wanted some advice about something if anyone can help.

We got a letter yesterday from the freeholder of our property demanding £110 for Land Registry Fee (£10) and Notice Of Assignment & Notice Of Mortage (£100) with a due date of 14 April 2008 for both.

There was a footnote written on the letter saying: "Your solicitor should have dealt with this and notified us when you purchased."

Here's the problem though: We bought the property in 2005, at that time the freehold was owned by another company who we paid all monies relating to this to as part of the house purchase. We have proof of this in our records, our solicitor will also have prrof of this. In 2006, some 8 months after we bought the property and we moved in, the current freeholders bought the freehold.

My questions are: Do they a right to demand the money? Is this demand the result of a remortgage after our fixed term mortgage came to an end? Have they just got their paperwork wrong? Are they trying to pull a fast one as from previous experience of them they aren't the most organised/ethical company?

Any advice?

clutton_2

why not ask your solicitor ?

i have had letters from freeholders asking me for huge sums - which i refused to pay - some of them try it on and assume you do not know your rights

manyamuckle

Valid point and I'm already planning to do that on Monday but I thought rather than me sit here fretting over the weekend I might ask for some advice/views in the meantime and see if anyone else (like yourself) have had any similar experiences.

Doozergirl

Is your remortgage recent?

The lender may have made some enquiries of the freeholder. If they do, then the freeholder is generally entitled to make some sort of charge, but I'm not sure if the Land Registry fee applies. I'm not sure what they would need to register with the land registry. Your new lender would need to register first charge on the property of course, but the freeholder I don't know

Maybe your freehoder thinks you've just bought it?

manyamuckle

No, we remortgaged back in November so that's five months ago. We have had quite a lot of contact with the freeholder since then - via phone, fax and snail mail - for a number of reasons (regarding ground rent, buildings insurance and an issue to due with the tenants upstairs illegally subletting) so they know we haven't just moved in.

I think they might just have got their paperwork wrong or are trying to pull a fast one, or are just really late at asking for the mortgage enquiry fee.