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A law firm that has expertise in leasehold enfranchisement has become the latest member of a professional association that monitors the conduct and service levels of its members. Bennett Griffin LLP, which is based in Worthing, West Sussex, has joined the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP). The company was established in 1990 after the merger of two local solicitor practices to provide both corporate and individual clients with legal issues and acts for both freeholders and

Owners of flats who extend the lease of their apartment are likely to face an extra bill if their premium exceeds £40,000 thanks to changes in the law surrounding stamp duty. Legal experts have highlighted that if homeowners apply to extend the lease of their main residence, they will be caught out new stamp duty land tax (SDLT) laws if it meets certain criteria, and will have to pay the higher rate if they own another property. The new higher rate of stamp duty – which is known as the surcharge – was

The tenants of a flat who challenged the cost of granting a lease extension have been told they must pay 80% of their landlord’s fees. Paul and Lesley Wisbey had won an earlier legal argument to reduce a £1,725+VAT bill from Sinclair Garden Investments for the cost of arranging a new lease and a valuation. The couple challenged the costs incurred and pointed to a number of issues, including the fact that the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) had previously made a decision to reduce costs for a lease extension i

City centres have the highest proportion of leasehold properties than other places in the UK with London and Manchester leading the way, new research has found. The study by My Home Move analysed more than 20 million property transaction records in England and Wales using Land Registry data and found that across the two countries, an average of 15% of residential properties are leasehold with the remainder being freehold. However that figure rises sharply in London, where 53% of homes are leasehold, a

The vast majority of homeowners do not ask to see the VAT credentials of the tradesmen they hire, according to a survey. UK consumers admitted to home services market place plentific.com that 79% of them never checked to see if the trades they were planning to use were registered for VAT. Whilst tradesmen do not need to be VAT registered if they earn less than £83,000 a year, many claim to be so they can charge customers higher prices, the report claimed. The youngest homeowners – those aged between

Spiralling ground rents could “engulf” flat owners and might lead to their homes being “virtually worthless”, an investigation has claimed. The study by The Guardian reported that they were inundated with apartment owners who are struggling to sell their homes because banks are refusing mortgages due to clauses in leaseholds for fixed ground rent reviews every 10 years. It claimed that traditional 999-year leases were increasingly unlikely to attract “peppercorn” ground rents, and reported the case of

Landlords need more support and information over changes to rules about renting property to illegal immigrants. The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) has warned that many landlords will fall foul of new legislation being introduced from December without realising it. The new law makes it a criminal offence to rent property to those who are in the UK illegally. DPS managing director Julian Foster said: “Pressures on landlords can be significant, so it’s vital they receive sufficient information and supp

The Ringley Group has appointed Jane Munro MIRPM, AssocRics as its property director. Jane has 30 years of experience in property management in both the public and private sectors. She has also managed a number of block management teams in London and the Home Counties. Jane joins Ringley as it embarks on a time of expansion, and group managing director Mary-Anne Bowring says Jane’s input will be key to enhancing service delivery to both clients and leaseholders.

YVA Solicitors have welcomed Angela Alexiou to the leasehold enfranchisement team. Angela heads the department and her vision is to grow the leasehold reform department. She said that she wanted to provide both leaseholders and landlords with sensible commercial advice and to help navigate clients through the process swiftly and cost effectively.

Realty Management have announced the appointment of Chris Wiles to their South Manchester based team. Chris specialises in the delivery of sustainable company growth and business development in the block management sector, and has an enviable track record successfully positioning managing agents as prominent nationwide firms. His appointment makes is part of North West based Realty’s ambitious expansion plans over the coming years. The company, which currently manages developments across Manchester

One of London’s oldest independent property consultancies has bolstered its growing planning department with a new senior associate partner. Brendan Hodges, previously of Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, joins Daniel Watney LLP with more than 25 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors, including 10 years at Westminster City Council. As a key part of the Daniel Watney planning team, Brendan will be responsible for overseeing planning applications and appeals; community and stakeholder e

The role of a mediator is to work with both parties, on an independent basis, to reach a compromise that everyone can work with and move on from. A good mediator can be incredibly valuable in resolving property management disputes, including service charge cases. Mediation is an informal and confidential process that allows the parties to ‘have their say’ whilst at the same time offering the opportunity for them to potentially settle their differences through a negotiated settlement. This voluntary pr