Leasehold tribunals are known to be conservative in their rulings but this week’s ruling was utterly shameful. Leaseholders at Citiscape in Croydon were told to fund the replacement of unsafe flammable cladding out of their own pockets! The building is owned by the Tchenguiz interests, one of the wealthiest landowners in the country, but the […]
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Leaseholders advice session
These have been really popular in the past. Leasehold specialists from Bishop & Sewell will offer 15min advice slots. This should be enough time for you to describe the issue and come away with an overview of your options. Monday 5 March, between 6.30 and 8.00pm at the Limes Centre, 6 Somers Rd, E17 6RX. […]
Case for fairer leasehold valuations thrown out
How much should a leaseholder pay for a lease extension? That was the question at the heart of an appeal heard last week in the Royal Court of Justice. Surveyor James Wyatt challenged the current methods of valuation as inaccurate and favouring the freeholder. In the original case of Mundy v The Trustees of Sloane […]
Leasehold reform hits housebuilder shares
On December 21, when Sajid Javid announced his plans to reform leasehold, housebuilders shares started sliding. The biggest fall was in retirement builders McCarthy & Stone which dropped 10% and has stayed there since. McCarthy & Stone specialise in the retirement sector, where sadly some of the worst exploitation occurs, with not only inflated ground […]
Leasehold campaigner loses home
Sonia McColl heads the Justice for Park Homeowners campaign. She has spent years campaigning for the rights of park homeowners and has made a few enemies in doing so. After receiving death threats, she decided to sell her park home and buy a new one to pitch on relatives’ land. But the new home […]
Leasehold extensions to be ‘easier, faster & cheaper’!
Sajid Javid has asked his department (DCLG) to work with the Law Commission to make buying a freehold or extending a lease much easier, faster and cheaper. Following a consultation on leasehold earlier this year, Javid, the Minister for Communites and Local Government has today acknowledged the problems raised, and has issued some promising calls […]