Tag Archives: fees

Tribunal fees for enfranchisement cases – as of 18th July 2016

Readers of this site may be aware that the government previously looked to introduce fees for applications made to the first tier tribunal for Enfranchisement matters.

There was a lot of debate about this and I and other ALEP colleagues were involved in making representations – particularly because the initial fees proposed were £2,000 per case!

Fortunately, because of the intervention the likely fees were reduced – to a much more manageable (and less deterring) £100 on application, and £200 when a hearing date is set.

This may not be the end of the story however, as it is likely that the subject will be revisited in the future at which point, government may be tempted to set fees which escalate depending on the value of the case.

We learnt yesterday from the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) that fees will be introduced with effect from 18th July 2016 (probably). If you are involved in a case and are going to need to apply it may be worth doing so before this date to avoid the additional application fee.

Links to the relevant SI for those that are interested appear below:

I want to extend my lease. Are there any additional costs payable other than the price of the lease extension?

If you want to extend your lease under the 1993 Act then the landlord’s reasonable legal and valuation costs will be payable by you (as well as your own).  You will not need to pay their costs in relation to any tribunal work, or in relation to any negotiation work carried out by the landlord’s surveyor or solicitor.

Often if you are agreeing a deal with the freeholder they will ask that their legal and valuation costs are paid on the basis that these would be paid under the statute.

Section 60 of the 1993 Act provides that the freeholder is able to recover the reasonable costs of checking the notice, serving counter notice and dealing with the conveyancing on the grant of the lease. The landlord’s reasonable costs of having a valuation report prepared to respond to the notice are also covered.

If you would like an approximate idea of the cost of extending your lease then there are some excellent calculators out there on the internet – such as this one:

http://www.bishopandsewell.co.uk/lease-extension-calculator/

These will only give an approximate idea, but if you are working out whether you can afford to extend your lease or not, or what the cost will be if you are buying then they can be very useful.