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I put my flat on the market through a local agent whom I instructed as a sole agent. It appears they told a sub agent about my flat and one of their clients approached me and we agreed a selling price. Now the agents I instructed first want me to pay them a commission but I don't think they did anything to help the sale. Am I liable?Shelly Knight, W5 Regrettably it looks as if you are liable because the information the sub agent received originated from your instructed agent without which a sale would not

If outdoor space is a prerequisite when looking for a home in the capital the magnificent three- bedroom, three-bathroom luxury penthouse at Kensington Westside offers over 750 sqft of terrace space. Perfect for dining al-fresco on balmy summer evenings, the extensive lower balcony, reached via double height glazed doors from all of the three bedrooms, provides stunning views of the London skylines. The second terrace, located on the floor above can be reached via the open plan living/dining room. If the

The Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 allows Tenants of qualifying flats to collectively purchase the freehold of their block. This Act has now been amended by the Commonhold and Reform Act 2002 and this provides that not less than 50% of the qualifying Lessees must participate in the acquisition. A qualifying Lessee is a Lessee who has owned the Lease of a self contained flat within the block, the Lease being for not less than 21 years from the date of grant. In addition each qualif

Art Deco style, contemporary design with unusual features as standard, characterise Guys Court, in Gibson Drive, West Malling, Kent. Guys Court, developed by specialist developer John Walker Developments and Sunley holdings, offers 14 apartments and two penthouses arranged over four storeys in a central location at Kings Hill villages on the former West Mlling airfield. Gibson Drive was formally the main entrance road to the airfield, named by the RAF after Wing Commander Guy Gibson, leader of the ‘Dambus

I have recently moved into a new block and think that there is a man on the same floor as me who seems to leave his flat at the same time as me so that he takes the elevator with me. He then tries to chat me up and I am just not interested. It’s quite a worry because I am a young woman living on my own. What can I do?Name and address witheld Be sure that this gentleman is really timing his departures to coincide with yours. If you are worried that he may have an unwanted attraction to you, you should try

By Arti Lukha Livingstone is one of the great political survivors. Cast adrift when Margaret Thatcher axed the Greater London Council he had led for five years, Red Ken swam against the tide in New Labour, his hopes of holding prominent office sinking fast. Then came an unlikely lifeline in the London Mayoral race. He stood against his own party and won with 58 per cent of the popular vote. Naturally he has made enemies along the way, has failed to regain admittance to the Labour party and lost his court

The following are a selection of the questions we have received from apartment residents needing advice from our specialist panel. We have edited the questions where necessary. If you have an issue related to apartment living, please write to: While we cannot answer each individual piece of correspondence personally, we will do our best to answer the most interesting questions on the Postbox page.Are Sellers Packs still to be Law?Charles Montague, by e-mailYes, it looks like it. The Draft Housing Bill was

In 1993 following various problems relating to acts of terrorism insurers excluded cover of over £2.5 million for damage caused by fire and explosion following terrorist action. The Government stepped in to provide top up cover to meet any excess amount. Following the events of 11th September 2001 there have been further restrictions on cover and again effectively the Government has had to step in to cover this problem. However this was a temporary measure and with effect from the beginning of this year i

The ability to sub-let is often one of the prime attractions of buying a Lease in a block of flats. Sometimes it is the sole object of the purchase. Difficulties with sub-letting can seriously affect the value of the investment so it pays to read the terms of the Lease very carefully to find out whether sub-letting is permitted and, if it is, whether there are any restrictions on how the sub-letting should be arranged. There has to be an express provision restricting sub-letting in the Lease and if there

If you are living in a block of flats, as opposed to sub-letting, when you come to consider your contents insurance the first thing to bear in mind is to ensure that you have comprehensive cover. Comprehensive cover is a phrase perhaps more naturally associated with motor insurance but it really indicates the fact that you need to make sure that you have wide coverage. This means ensuring that you have cover for accidental loss, that your insurance includes cover for legal costs, for your cash money and

I have read the article in your issue November/December 2002 with interest and note the duties of tenants as regards the conditions of their leases. But what can or may the landlords do if these conditions are not adhered to? Will a landlord spend hundreds of pounds on taking a tenant to court because he has not kept to the conditions of his lease? Surely no landlord is going to lay out much money because a tenant has rebuilt his flat, or not transferred it legally or correctly, or even not bothered to pa

I cannot have dogs in my flat as there is a restriction in our lease preventing us from having any pets. However, I would love to take them out for walks. Do you have any suggestions? You should advertise locally, offering a dog walking service. You could also try contacting local vets in your area or dog shelters, such as Battersea Dogs Home who sometimes allow volunteers to walk the dogs in their care. CAUGHT IN THE WEBI received your magazine last month, which was very interesting. I’d like to learn m