Buying a house (and renting)

According to the estate agents I'm buying through there has basically been no drop in activity this lockdown (compared to the first lockdown where it did actually slow down a lot)

In general I think there has been a bit of a rush for the stamp duty window.

Drumstick wrote:

Moggy wrote:I'd love to sell straight away but the pandemic is going to hurt my chances there.

From someone that moved last year in the midst of it: less than you think.

The plan is to move to Wales though, I know their lockdown is much harsher than it is in England.

I don't want to be one of those twats on the news that go into Wales and get a bollocking.

Moggy wrote:

Dual wrote:What are you going to do when all of this is settled Moggy? Are you selling up straight away? If the tribunal rules in your favour are you then free from any future claims by this company? Or any future shenanigans from them? What mechanisms are in place with the leasehold when you sell?

I'd love to sell straight away but the pandemic is going to hurt my chances there. The plan is to move ASAP though.

If I accept their offer/win the tribunal then I should be free from any more claims on this issue. But there's nothing to stop the bellends doing it again by inventing something else.

Firstly you should be under no illusion that by doubling their offer to settle they are 'running scared.' That £3.2k offer was always on the table for them.

Would this be a fair summary of potential scenarios at the moment?

You settle at £3.2k (or try and squeeze them for a bit more); they pay it; you hear nothing else from them; 12-18 months time you find a buyer for the property; you engage a solicitor who notifies the freeholder of your intent to sell the leasehold; they write back with a final invoice for a load of stuff you don't know anything about; you're then stuck and have to pay to get out.

Or

Go to tribunal for full amount; you win or lose; 12-18 months time you find a buyer for the property; you engage a solicitor who notifies the freeholder of your intent to sell the leasehold; you sell it and move on.

Based on the above I would be inclined to go for the tribunal at least then you've got more paperwork behind you if you win (or lose.) It would be a case closed; no come backs (for either party.) Unless there is draft paperwork to agree for the settlement figure? Have they said what terms they would agree to settle for?

Dual wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Dual wrote:What are you going to do when all of this is settled Moggy? Are you selling up straight away? If the tribunal rules in your favour are you then free from any future claims by this company? Or any future shenanigans from them? What mechanisms are in place with the leasehold when you sell?

I'd love to sell straight away but the pandemic is going to hurt my chances there. The plan is to move ASAP though.

If I accept their offer/win the tribunal then I should be free from any more claims on this issue. But there's nothing to stop the bellends doing it again by inventing something else.

Firstly you should be under no illusion that by doubling their offer to settle they are 'running scared.' That £3.2k offer was always on the table for them.

Would this be a fair summary of potential scenarios at the moment?

You settle at £3.2k (or try and squeeze them for a bit more); they pay it; you hear nothing else from them; 12-18 months time you find a buyer for the property; you engage a solicitor who notifies the freeholder of your intent to sell the leasehold; they write back with a final invoice for a load of stuff you don't know anything about; you're then stuck and have to pay to get out.

Or

Go to tribunal for full amount; you win or lose; 12-18 months time you find a buyer for the property; you engage a solicitor who notifies the freeholder of your intent to sell the leasehold; you sell it and move on.

Based on the above I would be inclined to go for the tribunal at least then you've got more paperwork behind you if you win (or lose.) It would be a case closed; no come backs (for either party.) Unless there is draft paperwork to agree for the settlement figure? Have they said what terms they would agree to settle for?

Both scenarios are possible, but I think it's unlikely they'd invoice stuff like that when it came to a sale. They didn't for the woman upstairs who recently sold. They do charge £600-£800 for an information pack for prospective buyers though.

I'd also hope a sale wouldn't take 12-18 months

The risk is that after taking the settlement or running the tribunal, they'd start invoicing me for crap/made up stuff again. I don't worry they'd hide it until I tried to sell, they are usually pretty upfront with their demands for cash.

No sorry I meant in a year's time you're ready to move as you said you're not doing it ASAP.

Dual wrote:No sorry I meant in a year's time you're ready to move as you said you're not doing it ASAP.

Ahh I see.

Yeah I definitely think they'd be charging for stuff over the next 12-18 months. They do nothing but charge for things without proper explanations, even if the stuff is for things I should pay for, they don't follow the correct process.

I'm ready to move as soon as I can buy/sell. I just don't want 30-40 people wandering around my flat during a pandemic or for me to get arrested travelling to Wales!

Moggy wrote:

Dual wrote:No sorry I meant in a year's time you're ready to move as you said you're not doing it ASAP.

Ahh I see.

Yeah I definitely think they'd be charging for stuff over the next 12-18 months. They do nothing but charge for things without proper explanations, even if the stuff is for things I should pay for, they don't follow the correct process.

I'm ready to move as soon as I can buy/sell. I just don't want 30-40 people wandering around my flat during a pandemic or for me to get arrested travelling to Wales!

I guarantee that if you travel during commuting hours nobody will even notice you entering or exiting Wales.

Moggy wrote:Hmm I am not sure what to do now.

The dickheads offered £1.6k to settle out of court. I told them no but said I'd take £4.5k. Mostly because I want this gooseberry fool over.

They've just come back to offer £3.25k, but have said that's their final offer.

£3.25k is about half of the amount I'm going for at the tribunal.

But I am scared of losing and desperately want this gooseberry fool over with.

We have a preliminary telephone hearing with the tribunal on Friday, so I'll need to decide before then.

If I accept the offer (and I'm 50/50 at the moment on if I will) they'll need to get it in my bank account before I do anything!

But I also think they are obviously running scared. To increase their out of court offer to £3.5k shows they are scared of losing.

Of course theyre scared of losing...why would they offer anything if they thought they had a chance? 3 offers in about a week is about as desperate as it comes. I think your proposal of 4.5k is miles too low. I'd be wanting 80% out of court at least.

Moggy I hope you take this to tribunal, or respond you won't accept less than 4.5k.

You got em by the balls and they know it.

It's obviously easier for all of us to say it as we're not the ones involved and it isn't our money on the line but I would be inclined to push back as others have said. They either need to offer you significantly more or face going to the tribunal where it seems like they stand a solid chance of losing.

I've replied to say it was my final offer and they either pay up or we go to the tribunal.

Hopefully I won't be using this gif in future:

If they make another offer do you have a biting point to avoid tribunal?

Tomous wrote:If they make another offer do you have a biting point to avoid tribunal?

At the moment? I'll take a quid as I'm bricking it.

When I calm down? I'm not accepting less than £4.5k. Even that is a massive win for them, they are strawberry floating idiots if they don't take it.

Prediction Spoiler: They are strawberry floating idiots

I think they'll take it.

First off, you're chasing them for double their "final offer" figure and they clearly understand that it's likely the tribunal will find in your favour.

Secondly, they've already offered £3.25k. If you add to that further legal fees for the tribunal and any post tribunal work, in addition to a possible further charge for "damages" in your favour... it will almost certainly exceed £4.5k.

If the tribunal finds in your favour and awards you the full amount, plus a damages payment... they could be looking at between £7-8k.

They've just emailed to say they are checking with the freeholder and will get back to me today.

I think you're right Drummy, they know they will lose, £4.5k is far better for them than £6k plus their legal costs.

I have also demanded they confirm there will be no additional charges from all this, I can imagine them sneakily adding in legal fees or an "admin fee" for all of this.

We have a phone hearing with the judge tomorrow, they'll have to agree and pay up today if they want to avoid it.

Damn, this is exciting as an outsider, but must be horrendous going through it. Sounds like it's going well though, seems you've really got them shitting themselves.

This is better drama than when we got Gary Neville's phone number.

They just phoned me.

He gave me a load of bollocks, he's spoke to the freeholder, he wishes me the best but is dealing with the freeholder, he's just the intermediary, he's concerned blah blah blah.

They want to offer £4250 as their absolute final offer.

I've told him to email the offer and I'll consider it.

Pricks definitely know they'll lose. Do I risk losing everything for the sake of £250, or just take it and move on before I have a complete breakdown with the stress of all this gooseberry fool.

strawberry float this is a hard one (no context).