Tiesto
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: Hinckley, Leicestershire
User status: Offline
|
Parents have bought a flat, but have got a letter through from the management company asking for over £3000! in outsanding fees that the previous owner didn't pay!
Do they have any legal obligation to pay this as its not their debt?
This is what the letter states:
"We note your comments regarding the outstanding service charge bills on your flat, technically ,once you purchase the flat you acquire ALL the legal and financial obligations attached to it. The outstanding service charge bills on your property have been passed to you. Your solicitor should enquire from the vendors solicitors if any money was retained in respect of this. Basically, it is the duty of both solicitors to agree a retention sum for such matters."
Will be discussing with solicitors monday, but that is ridiculous.
Any one out there know the legal standing on this, just for their ease of mind really.
|
John_C
Member
Registered: 5th Mar 03
Location: South east, Bromley
User status: Offline
|
they cant pursue you for the debt. Service charges will be charged from when you moved in not from the previous people. Ring them, give them hell, they'll go away
|
stubbsy05
Member
Registered: 23rd Oct 02
User status: Offline
|
When I bought my Flat, my solicitor picked up on £2800 of fees oweing by the vendor. They paid this from the sale when I purchased the flat.
I'm sure your solicitor you used should have picked up on any outstanding fees.
|
GT4Brody
Member
Registered: 26th Sep 01
Location: south
User status: Offline
|
when i sold my flat, i had to pay £200 in case any bills came in after i moved for the period i was living there, some did, only got £120 back....8 months later!
|
GT4Brody
Member
Registered: 26th Sep 01
Location: south
User status: Offline
|
sounds like you might be liable, i would have thought your solicitor should have picked this up? could be their fault...
|
Tiesto
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: Hinckley, Leicestershire
User status: Offline
|
Seems solicitors knew about this thankfully and we are not liable, heres their reply.
"There is no danger of you being liable for any outstanding service charge that existed before you purchased. I have raised this with the sellers solicitor who accepted that his figures given to me on completion were a little out of date (through no fault of his though) and we was dealing with it, ie collecting back from his client their share."
Will have to wait and see.
[Edited on 14-05-2007 by Tiesto]
|