Alternatives to Service Charge Disputes
Overview Validity Notices Disputes Alternatives Services & Costs
Service charge disputes are complicated, expensive, and by their nature limited to issues arising during specific service-charge years. Even if a case is resolved successfully, the same issues may arise in subsequent years.
- It is always a preferable long-term solution for leaseholders to take over long-term management of the property via either freehold purchase or Right to Manage.
Right to Manage
- If leaseholders do not wish to pay the cost of Collective Enfranchisement but still wish to rectify difficulties with maintenance or service charges, Right to Manage may be an option.
- Provided that the leaseholders and their property qualify, the leaseholders could take over management of the property. The costs involved are generally low although current service charge debts will need to be paid-off before management can be transferred.
- Pro-Leagle offer a full Right to Manage service.
Buying the Freehold
- Leaseholders can purchase the freehold land on which a property containing multiple flats is built through either informal negotiation with the current owner (the freeholder) or by statutory freehold purchase (known as collective enfranchisement).
- The leaseholders will then be responsible for future property maintenance, or they can choose to instruct their own managing agent who follows their instructions.
- Current service charge debts will need to be paid-off before the freehold can be purchased. Whilst this may prove expensive, the process ensures that there will be no future unreasonable demands for service charges or management fees.
- Pro-Leagle offers a full collective enfranchisement service.
The [Collective Enfranchisement] service was excellent and Pro-Leagle were very patient in what proved to be a long and difficult negotiation with our freeholder. But with the help of Pro-Leagle we were successful. We would really recommend this firm.