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A recent Court of Appeal decision has had a dramatic effect on the cost of extending a lease or purchasing a freehold. Jamie Reid investigates the winners and losers in the fallout from this landmark ruling. (See the next issue for a full update.) The Sportelli case has had the residential property market gripped since the announcement by the Lands Tribunal in September 2006 that when valuing a lease extension or freehold purchase, a standard national deferment rate of five per cent should apply for all

Enfranchisement, or buying the freehold of a building, is not always the most straightforward or cost-effective solution for leaseholders who are unhappy with the way their building is being managed. Often there are cost complications that make this an unaffordable option, explains Richard Benson. Five years ago, an act was passed simplifying the process for leaseholders. The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act (2002) gave leaseholders the right to manage (RTM) their homes without having to buy the free

One of Labour’s main election platforms in 1997 was to continue the trend towards leasehold reform, began (albeit in a somewhat flawed fashion) in 1993 and improved in 1996. Mira Bar-Hillel takes up the story… The promise of ending feudalism, the apt description of leasehold tenure until 1997, was frustratingly slow in arriving, and it was a source of constant aggravation that obvious steps that could have been introduced long ago, and prevented endless abuse, kept coming through in a slow, maddening tri

Within the Oxford Concise English Dictionary there are many meanings of the word ‘woe’. Examples being: bitter grief, distress, calamities, troubles, problems, (told me a tale of woe), woe betide there will be unfortunate consequences. So why take on the position of becoming a director, or even more frightening the role of chairman or worse still the company secretary, asks Wayne Morris of Towergate Risk Solutions. Everyone must be aware of the line from the famous song by Irving Berlin entitled: “Lets

The Federation of Private Residents’ Associations (FPRA) has just published the findings from its recent survey of members. The questionnaire was completed by 254 Resident Management Company officers and covered a range of issues including reasons for joining the FPRA, concerns about managing agents and how best the FPRA can serve its members moving forward. The first question asked respondents how they originally learnt of the FPRA. The largest percentage response to this question said they learnt of th

How can property managersand residents benefit from using Microbee for pest control? Microbee employs biologists and zoologists as well as technicians. These professionals conduct scientific research on pests as well as selecting and evaluating pesticides for clients. The biologists survey new contracts, specify treatments and carry out annual quality audits. This helps to ensure the treatment is appropriate and helps to keep technicians on their toes. The company’s service controllers call client sites

Most buildings require some form of pest control service. This can range from removing wasp nests to pigeon proofing. As with any service delivered through a managing agent or third party, to be effective, the delivery has to be managed and the lines of communication good. Dave Channon of Microbee explains the process of good pest control. Residents naturally want to spend as little as possible on pest control and unless they live in the basement or ground floor they probably won’t notice the problem. Th

Property management experts have a vital role to play in Gordon Brown’s plans to build three million new homes by 2020. Industry experts say optimum design and management of communal areas will be critical in ensuring best value in the £8 billion housing investment.  Property management firm Peverel OM welcomes the government’s announcement on housing investment and is urging Whitehall to work with the industry to ensure maximum benefit for residents, developers and taxpayers. Lee Middleburgh, Peverel OM

Deacon, specialists in insurance for private blocks of flats, part of Erinaceous Insurance Services is aiming to make life easier for Resident Management Companies (RMCs) by creating the sector’s first online direct-to-buyer insurance tool.  Launched in August, www.deacon-online.co.uk provides RMCs who prefer to operate independently with everything they may need, including arranging buildings insurance, public liability insurance for directors and officers, engineering and inspection insurance, as well

The Ombudsman for Estate Agents (OEA) scheme is planning to grow its coverage of the Scottish property market following a fact-finding visit to Glasgow by the Ombudsman, Christopher Hamer. Christopher Hamer was invited to Glasgow by two leading estate agents and a solicitor to review the country’s property market and to assess the relevance of it for the OEA. The OEA already offers its mediation and redress service through 130 estate agency offices in Scotland, This is compared with 11,000 in England an

The contract for one of the largest successful right to manage cases in history has been awarded to industry stalwarts Retirement Lease Housing Association (RLHA). Residents at the Fair Acre Estate in Bromley selected the not-for-profit organisation to provide full management services for the Estate following a five-way pitch. The Fair Acres (Bromley) Right to Manage Company Limited was formed in September 2005 and an application to acquire the right to manage the property was served the following year.

Young Group announces the launch of The Landmark East Tower in Canary Wharf. The 45-storey tower will rise to 140 metres, making it one of Europe’s tallest residential buildings, and flats are available from £355,000. Due for completion at the end of 2010, the Landmark is four minutes’ walk from Canary Wharf’s financial centre. It is ideally positioned to appeal to the area’s workforce, which is set to more than double, to 200,000 within the next 10-12 years, making it an excellent investment proposit