Q: Last year one of the freehold properties was sold to a new owner. It has taken a year to receive a letter of undertaking from the previous owner’s solicitors to state if the lost share certificate is found they will return it to us. We have requested a stock transfer form to issue a […]
Q: Currently we have a situation where one of our leaseholders wishes to assign his lease to his current sub-lessee. This sub-lessee has caused us many problems over a number of years – parking too many vehicles in our car park, storing personal property in communal areas, keeping dogs that foul the lawns etc, etc. We […]
Q: We are resident directors of an owner-managed block of 16 flats and members of the FPRA. All flats are leasehold and own a voting share in the freehold. Historically, we allow leaseholders to sub-let but require them to register their tenancy for a small, non-returnable fee, as required under the terms of their lease. […]
Q: We have recently become aware that one of our leaseholders has decided to make his flat available to people seeking overnight accommodation. We have received a number of complaints from other leaseholders and are concerned in regard to the security and safety of residents, and as to how such activities might affect our insurance […]
Q 1: Our problem is with a persistent late payer of service charges who only pays up once solicitors get involved, after several letters and overdue notices. These notices always include a summary of rights. Is there any way that we could recoup these costs from the individual concerned without having to take the forfeiture […]
Q: Do we need to serve a statutory service charge notice to leaseholders and freeholders for grounds maintenance of common parts? Within the rolled-up charge for grounds maintenance we pay our treasurer and our secretary a fixed fee each year. Should these costs be separated as an admin fee and do we need to serve […]
Q: I have filled in a questionnaire for the sale of a property and they have asked for an asbestos report. We have never had an asbestos report and the previous secretary informs me that there is no asbestos in the building. But is it a legal requirement? FPRA Chairman Bob Smytherman replies: The simple […]
Q: We are a block of seven self-managed flats each with share of the freehold. The building has a tanks-fed water system installed when built in 1981. Due to this fact we have recently had a Risk Assessment and Water Hygiene Survey. This has now involved two contractors, one of which carried out the survey, […]
Q: Is it a legal requirement that a block of flats should have a fire risk assessment certificate? FPRA Chairman Bob Smytherman replies: The short answer is no. Fire Safety Certificates were abolished some years ago when the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order was introduced in 2007 which requires blocks of flats to carry out […]
Q: I understand that, as of October 1 2015, there is a new legislation requirement on carbon monoxide issues. We are a block of 27 flats built in the late 60s, all of which have gas boilers installed. We have smoke alarms in the communal staircases but have not at this time advised our residents […]
