Buying the freehold of a house

[Chicken Chaser]

Last year, I negotiated with the company who owned the freehold of my property and after bartering them down to a shade over £500 inc fees, I sent them a cheque for the amount.

They took this at the beginning of August yet I am still waiting on them sending me the freehold documents and they seem to be dragging their heels over it.

I was paying peppercorn rent of about £7 a year, so a tiny sum but I wanted the freehold so that I could carry out development without involving them. I have checked with Land Registry and it is showing now as Freehold however, on contacting this asset management company, they just keep on fobbing me off, blaming Christmas and Land Registry for the hold up.

Is it usual to wait this long to get the necessary paperwork? Is there anything I should formally threaten them with (ombudsman for instance) if it is an unreasonable amount of time?

[TooMany2cvs]

Chicken Chaser said:

I have checked with Land Registry and it is showing now as Freehold

There y'go, then.

What else do you want or expect? That's the important bit. Anything else is just some random, meaningless paperwork for interest's sake.

[olivebrown]

Buy the title of the land reg website for £3.

[Fastpedeller]

TooMany2cvs said:

Chicken Chaser said:

I have checked with Land Registry and it is showing now as Freehold

There y'go, then.

What else do you want or expect? That's the important bit. Anything else is just some random, meaningless paperwork for interest's sake.

But someone always owns the freehold don't they? Does the land registry show the freeholder (yourself or mortgage co?) I've little knowledge, but I know I'd NEVER want another lesasehold after having a flat once. You are definitely doing the right thing OP.

[TooMany2cvs]

Fastpedeller said:

But someone always owns the freehold don't they?

Yes. It used to be the OP's freeholder. Now it's the OP.

[Fastpedeller]

TooMany2cvs said:

Fastpedeller said:

But someone always owns the freehold don't they?

Yes. It used to be the OP's freeholder. Now it's the OP.

The Op hasn't confirm that, just stating "It's showing as Freehold"