Freehold maintenance - long and complicated, but any advice much appreciated!

[Fufulina]

We bought our flat 2 years ago. It's in North London.
It is one of 3 flats in a house, and we have the leasehold and a share in the freehold.

POne of the flats is on the market and the survey has come back with £60k of repairs needed.

The guy who's selling the flat has been in it for 30 years. He wants us to 'satisfy our legal obligations' and do the work (so he can sell). Do we have a leg to stand on to say that the directors of the freehold didn't 'satisfy thier obligations' for years and so the state the house has got into now requires £60k of work - so we shouldn't be expected to pay for their lax maintenance? Our flat is fine - it's the two other flats which are affected... although I know we all have equal obligations...

Am 14 weeks pregnant and a £20k bill is the last thing we need with our income about to halve!

Thanks very much

put simply - yes you do - it is called a 'set-off' and is the same as you claiming compensation from the freeholder which is set off against the bill for the work.

and very importantly you cannot just be landed with a bill for 20k - there is a lengthy procedure of consultation which has to be gone through, giving you the chance to make comments on the planned work and the builders' estimates at every step of the way.

have a look at this website

Leasehold Advisory Service

Thank you so much for super speedy respone and one which means I can sleep tonight! Thanks again - will investigate fully...

Liz