| Bernard, if you choose to buy a flat in a tower block hopefully you have been told that maintenance will be expensive and that you will have to pay your share. For the original right to buy purchasers as well as up to 70% discounts from the market price, the council was obliged to declare any planned maintenance, with costs, over the next five years, at point of sale, and those costs were the max that could be charged. If you were a second or subsequent purchaser you paid market price which was probably relatively cheap because it was a flat in large tower block. Hopefully such purchasers knew why it was cheap and their solicitors/surveyors advised them of likely maintenance costs. What they can be legally charged for, the pre contract consultation, bidding process etc has been extensively tested in court. So I would not be overly concerned about the size of leaseholders bills for major works. They need to pay their fair share or the cost will fall on the council........However, I believe there is a max I think they can be charged, imposed by government, rather than obligations under the lease. |