Property conveyancing advice on leasehold valuation tribunals

Before changes to legislation in the late 20th Century landlords often treated many tenants unfairly, but various pieces of legislation have been enacted to protect their interests including the establishment of Leasehold Valuation Tribunals.

At these tribunals tenants can speak for themselves or ask a specialist property solicitor, such as those employed by George Ide LLP, to do so on their behalf.

Leasehold Valuation Tribunals are completely independent but are under the umbrella of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Their decisions are binding on the parties involved.

The types of problems on which they can adjudicate are:

• Deciding the price to be paid when a leaseholder wants to buy (enfranchise), extend or renew the lease of their home in a case where the value cannot be agreed with the leaseholder;
• Varying of estate management schemes under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993;
• Adjudication of disputes about the right of first refusal procedure (which gives leaseholders the right of first refusal to buy the freehold when the landlord wishes to sell it) and the compulsory acquisition of the landlord's interest in blocks of flats;
• Deciding liability for payment of service charges and settling disputes about the landlord's choice of insurer;
• Ruling on applications for dispensation of service charge, consultation requirements, administration charges, the right to manage, the appointment of managers, the variation of leases and estate charges.

Hearings of Leasehold Valuation Tribunals are kept as informal as possible but there are certain procedures to be followed and, if these are not carried out correctly, the case may be delayed or rejected on a technicality.

Because the future of someone's financial interests or security of tenure may be at risk, the advice of a specialist conveyancing solicitor should be sought at an early stage in any dispute between a landlord and tenant.

George Ide LLP has provided that service for many people from its offices in Bognor Regis and Chichester, offering sympathetic, yet professional, attention from its expert property law team.

For more information on how we can help you with a leasehold valuation tribunal, please contact one of our partners using the details provided in the profiles featured on this page.