New Father of the House and leasehold reform?

New Father of the House and leasehold reform?

11:24 AM, 17th December 2019, About 5 years ago 7

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I note since the latest general election that the new Father of the House is Conservative MP Sir Peter Bottomley. One of his main activities has been to push through leasehold reform.

This is particularly in response to “new builds” with large ground rent charges.

Has anybody got any views how this may pan out for older type leaseholds for flats etc?

Many thanks

Ivor

Editors Note: From Sir Peter’s website >> https://www.sirpeterbottomley.com/leasehold

SIR PETER CAMPAIGNS ALONGSIDE THE LEASEHOLD KNOWLEDGE PARTNERSHIP FOR A POSITIVE IMPROVEMENT ON LEASEHOLD REGULATIONS IN BRITISH LAW.

I have for a long time campaigned for reforms to British law to end the injustice faced by leaseholders across the country.

We can be grateful to the organisations and hard-working volunteers across the country that have been involved in this campaign. One charity that stands out is the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership who’s aim is to cast a spotlight on crooked landowners and managing agents.

Please consider signing this petition to abolish leasehold.

As Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform, I am also grateful to Jim Fitzpatrick MP and Sir Edward Davey MP for their work to further this campaign in Parliament.


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Comments

Michael Bond

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12:50 PM, 18th December 2019, About 5 years ago

Leasehold is a perfectly sensible form of land tenure which has advantages in many circumstances-- most obviously concerning flats. But it is now being abused by some developers with the unwitting compliance of some amazingly incompetent conveyancing lawyers. It ought to be possible to stop this by tweaking the rules, rather than abolishing a useful concept.

Tony Hodge

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9:03 AM, 19th December 2019, About 5 years ago

It always amazes me that the solicitors don't stress the downside of leases to potential house buyers. Then the general public can vote with their feet and not buy leasehold houses. This will soon put an end to developers selling leasehold houses.
The challenge now is to enforce 'fair lease charges' on existing houses as they are now blighted.
Agreee, leasehold on blocks of flats is essential.

Sebastian O'Kelly

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10:14 AM, 20th December 2019, About 5 years ago

Leasehold is not a "useful concept". It is not even a concept at all, rather a convention that has existed for centuries with cobbled together laws and, in modern times, used primarily for communal properties (flats).

No other jurisdiction, including English law ones, use it. It is inherently unbalanced, and a means to squirrel away an investment asset into people's homes. It needs replacing with commonhold, as repeated reforms have failed.

It would be iniquitous to create another 100 dukes of Westminster through this flawed system, yet that is what we are doing.

The Grenfell and other combustible cladding issues have shown just how utterly pointless third party freehold owning is in residential homes. An impediment to resolving this crisis, with a legal entity that pays for nothing, yet receives the income from the building.

It needs stopping, and leaseholders need to be real owners of their flats and take full responsibility for them - as flat owners do in the rest of the world, including Scotland.

philip allen

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18:37 PM, 21st December 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Michael Bond at 18/12/2019 - 12:50
Michael, it is not'sensible' at all. I live half of my life in another country where, when buying a flat you purchase a share of freehold. Leaseholds do not even exist. There are no issues.

Babs Farmmer

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8:51 AM, 23rd December 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Michael Bond at 18/12/2019 - 12:50
There is nothing "perfectly sensible" about a system which gives a third party power over your home. It is particularly disgusting in the case of retirement flats where some of our most vulnerable members of society are used as cash cows. A "few tweaks" will not make this vile system acceptable to those trapped in the misery of having no control over their own home and paying through the nose for the privilege.

terry sullivan

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17:51 PM, 31st December 2019, About 5 years ago

leasehold retirement will be next misselling debacle

terry sullivan

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17:57 PM, 31st December 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Tony Hodge at 19/12/2019 - 09:03
leasehold is never essential

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