Freeholder taken advantage

[user1484167681]

We’re selling our leasehold flat. The freeholder has done nothing in the way of service for the last 3 years, including keeping accounts or making demands for service charge. As we are selling, we needed the accounts completed and provided to the buyer.

Having agreed a flat-ish rate for the missing years and paid it - despite no receipts, service etc - and provided a pdf of accounts to the buyer, that my OH wrote with the freeholder over the weekend… we have now discovered that the freeholder can not request payment for any costs incurred more than 18 months ago. More fool us for not checking before we discussed.

Is there any way to get our money (c.£5k) back? It’s pretty fraudulent really as no costs were incurred, but I have a feeling that cash is gone forever now. Any hope? Yes, we were idiots, please don’t rub it in. :( Feeling very down - certain the freeholder knew the limitation but failed to disclose this to us.

Thank you.

Send an enquiry to one of the leaseholder advice sites.

www.lease-advice.org/

www.leaseholdadvicecentre.co.uk/

www.lease-assn.org/

Freeholders are vultures and pirates. Ours has refused - and the management co has been stupid enough to tell us IN WRITING - that the freeholder has no intention of doing any repairs.

Agree you should contact one of the above organisations for advice. Not all freeholders are vultures, the majority actually comply with the extensive legislation in place to protect leaseholders.

I expect you will need to make a claim to the First Tier Tribunal for unreasonable service charges. The Tribunal will determine what you are legally required to pay and may direct the freeholder to refund you.