Please help me interpret this plan – am I liable to pay for the joists supporting the staircase?

[andhessixfeetten]

Hello people who understand property plans. Here is a plan of my property, or rather an extract. You’ll see there is an external staircase – the staircase leads up to my front door. Now the steel joists underneath that staircase are perishing and require replacement. At first I assume that as this was part of the structure of the main building then all the leaseholders would be liable to pay but my fellow leaseholder has a different interpretation. I’m okay to interpret the wording of the lease but I don’t understand how the plan works – what is that diagonal line going across the staircase? Is the fact that the thick black line isn’t there after the staircase and indication that there is no wall/barrier?

The diagonal line is just to indicate that it is stairs.

I am no expert but I would take that the windows are the structure but the stairs are included within your boundary.

What is the red/orange line? - this is also under the thicker black line.

Does it only lead to your front door or does it serve others too? Do the beams go into your wall or your neighbour belows wall?

The big black line is indicative of your property. They haven't drawn the full staircase but the way the line goes both sides is indicative of it all being part of your property and therefore your responsibility to upkeep. However, who provided these plans ?
Was it the person who's complaining? Or us it in your purchase pack ?
Also does anyone else need to access or even stand in those steps at all from your building ?

Red/orange line is my boundary.

It only leads to my door

But the beam goes into the freeholder’s external wall.
The wall on which the staircase is built also supports everyone’s gas meters.

Can't help feeling that if they are your stairs then they are your joists.

The only way to know for sure, though, is to consult an expert. You are only going to get opinions here, not facts.

What oakmaiden says.
Joists are a part of stairs, not separate. As in you would not have joists with no stairs.

But yes, consult an expert (solicitor?)- whoever holds the terms of your leasehold.

Thanks

You need to look at the lease in conjunction with the plans. They'll declare what is structural and what is part of the freeholder's obligation to repair, and what is demised. If the stairs are internal it's likely they're demised, if they're a fire escape or similar then it's possible that they remain the freeholder's responsibility. The structure of the building usually falls to the freeholder.

If that is a lease plan and the dark line is consistent, the stairs are within your demise. However, that seems unusual in a multi- occupied property, so maybe there is another coloured line that I can’t see on screen that indicates that you have right of way over the stairs in common with other leaseholders.
Maybe there is info online at Land Registry. Or, consult whichever solicitor you used to convey your purchase.