A Flat Life
or
Whatever Happened to the Lease?
After a quarter of a century of travel, we decided to give notice to the tenant and repossess the flat between Blackpool and Fleetwood that Margaret inherited from her mother. Not that this means an end to travelling - far from it - it is just that we need a base to collect our scattered belongings and to provide a possible shelter from the Brexit storm and now the remorseless advance of coronavirus.
It is one of four purpose-built flats which are leasehold, although the freeholder has been inactive for many years and no-one has been in a position to impose the terms of the lease. Margaret’s flat is upstairs at B; in D is a woman approaching her tenth decade, physically unwell and psychologically damaged by the dominating single male inhabitant below her in C. Below us, A is let to a man with a seemingly slender hold on life itself. Historically, the absence of a freeholder has allowed C to rule the place as if it were his own. When politely asked to move his car so that we could access our garage when we first arrived, in foul language he ordered us to get off his property (in fact, the common driveway), threatening to call the police (and see below!)
It is one of four purpose-built flats which are leasehold, although the freeholder has been inactive for many years and no-one has been in a position to impose the terms of the lease. Margaret’s flat is upstairs at B; in D is a woman approaching her tenth decade, physically unwell and psychologically damaged by the dominating single male inhabitant below her in C. Below us, A is let to a man with a seemingly slender hold on life itself. Historically, the absence of a freeholder has allowed C to rule the place as if it were his own. When politely asked to move his car so that we could access our garage when we first arrived, in foul language he ordered us to get off his property (in fact, the common driveway), threatening to call the police (and see below!)
As days went by, C went to great lengths to block all access around the flats, using his car, his work van and small barricades of garden tubs. When we complained, C did call the police in the form of a very understanding Police Community Support Officer, who turned up to spend some of his otherwise wasted time with us.
A’s leaseholder has erected a satellite dish (bolted into the mortar) and an over-tall TV aerial (a handy perch for seagulls) high on our wall above our front door at B, whilst C has sensor lights and 6 (SIX) CCTV cameras on his wall, two of them trained on us, as well as two very large satellite dishes and three TV aerials on the wall of D.
Following our attempts to draw the attention of fellow-leaseholders to the actual terms of the lease, C called in the police for a second time in the form of two constables on active service. Fortunately, they had the time and the skill to check out A’s rambling complaints with ourselves and with our neighbour in D before returning to give their verdict to C.
Having written this account, we noticed a further visit to C by the local constabulary for no known reason. On this occasion they didn’t visit us, so we guess they decided they had wasted enough time.
We have of course been in search of the freehold, tracking it down to a solicitor in Lytham St Annes. The procedure he outlined for the transfer from the present freeholder was both expensive and time-consuming. It would also require the consent of D (yes), A (not interested) and C (a definite no).
A’s leaseholder has erected a satellite dish (bolted into the mortar) and an over-tall TV aerial (a handy perch for seagulls) high on our wall above our front door at B, whilst C has sensor lights and 6 (SIX) CCTV cameras on his wall, two of them trained on us, as well as two very large satellite dishes and three TV aerials on the wall of D.
Following our attempts to draw the attention of fellow-leaseholders to the actual terms of the lease, C called in the police for a second time in the form of two constables on active service. Fortunately, they had the time and the skill to check out A’s rambling complaints with ourselves and with our neighbour in D before returning to give their verdict to C.
Having written this account, we noticed a further visit to C by the local constabulary for no known reason. On this occasion they didn’t visit us, so we guess they decided they had wasted enough time.
We have of course been in search of the freehold, tracking it down to a solicitor in Lytham St Annes. The procedure he outlined for the transfer from the present freeholder was both expensive and time-consuming. It would also require the consent of D (yes), A (not interested) and C (a definite no).
Fight or Flight? Our motorhome, seen on the left in Greece, is now parked nearby, fully serviced, MOTed, water and diesel tanks full, grey and black water tanks empty. Ready to go! Flat-dwelling is a little bit like being parked for the night on an Italian Autostrada Service Station. Inside it’s splendidly cosy and warm with all you could need: outside you never know what is waiting for you!
Here is an illustrated tour of what unfolded below us and around us from Day One onward. Click on a photograph to enlarge it and to read the caption. Click to the Right of the Photograph to move on.
Here is an illustrated tour of what unfolded below us and around us from Day One onward. Click on a photograph to enlarge it and to read the caption. Click to the Right of the Photograph to move on.
