Owning your own home

I believe so. I'd have thought, unless the freehold directors have collectively gone loopy, they would be quite interested and possibly slightly disturbed by their agent attacking one of their stakeholders.

Our directors are a classic example of what I believe is known as "regulatory capture", they are the lick-spittles and boot-licks of the managing agent.

Hence my loss of temper a little while ago with the managing director of the residents committee, which I believe that Matt overheard.

Solicitor promised me an answer from her manager today - 30 minutes left of the day and nothing so far. Which is what I had expected tbh.

Very much so. Sorry, I didn't realise that - been very busy at work so not been keeping up here.

So @Dammit take my post with a pinch of salt then - they'll want to have a word with their lawyers if they're really going after a co-freeholder.

To be clear - the managing agent has, in consultation with our directors, instructed solicitors to pursue me for arrears that I do not owe.

When I tried to speak to the managing director of the residents group about this he shouted at me "just pay what you owe! Don't talk to me - pay what you owe!", and slammed his door in my face.

So weird.

My mind boggles a bit. Has the MA sent you an updated services charges bill with the legal fee as a new line item? If not, I can't imagine how the solicitor could ever take you to court to get their fee. Or are the solicitors taking you to court on behalf of the MA, to get you to pay the newly updated service charge demand, which happens to have their fee appended to it?

Jokers either way I'd have thought, but there you go. If you did receive an updated demand with the legal fee appended to it I would do as BleakRefs says and take them to tribunal.

I'm not a housing lawyer but won't the managing agent (assuming he is a shit) just try and add the solicitors bill to the service charge account anyway and then try and get you to pay for it through the on account service charge payments ?

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That's what we got, the £711.88 I've told them I'll pay on June the 25th as per the 2011 agreement with Martin. The rest of the fees I have declined to pay.

I have suggested that they make good on their threat and take me to the county court so that (as mentioned earlier) I can present the payment history that is included with the letter, and the context for said payments.

That’s a demand from the solicitor though?

I suspect It’s pie in the sky until it’s ‘served’ correctly with your rights and obligations via the freehold company and their agent.

I think it’s fair to tell the solicitor to do one unless they can demand court - what will probably happen is the £250 + VAT will end up on your next service charge demand and then you take them to tribunal.

Pricks

HSBC (who I bank with) offered me 5x my salary a few months ago. I then went to a mortgage broker 3-4 weeks ago for a more competitive offering rate wise and they were shocked that I got offered so much. Is 5x salary not the standard offering and has anyone been told they can borrow a lot less since the crisis started when their agreement in principle was up for renewal?

Taken a 10% pay deferral for the rest of the year which will almost certainly make my agreement in principle be revised downwards anyway. Best laid plans...

Can't complain though as still lucky to be working and though I am very keen to get my first house, it can wait.

I thought 5x was high but quite common.

When I was looking Barclays we’re offering if income was £50k or more

HSBC (who I bank with) offered me 5x my salary a few months ago. I then went to a mortgage broker 3-4 weeks ago for a more competitive offering rate wise and they were shocked that I got offered so much. Is 5x salary not the standard offering and has anyone been told they can borrow a lot less since the crisis started when their agreement in principle was up for renewal?

Taken a 10% pay deferral for the rest of the year which will almost certainly make my agreement in principle be revised downwards anyway. Best laid plans...

The online HSBC tool gives a straight 5x your salary when you enter it.

4.75 times according to your link.

That's interesting, it gave me 5x when I tried it.

Moneybags.

Might be cookies on my machine that say "HSBC account holder", but I can't believe I earn more than "Titanium Andy".

I got 5x too a couple of years ago with Nationwide on Share to Buy.

£250 plus vat for a letter, they can fuck off.

We've been offered 4.75x our joint salary with NatWest. This was with a 75% LTV which was the other constraint.

Santander offered us just under 6x times our joint salary but this was with 55% LTV.

We've just had a self build mortgage finalized which was a struggle to get 3x even with a decent deposit.

There's more to it than LTV and salary, credit score, age, type of employment, CCJ record etc also plays a role.

£100k seems to be the salary at which it starts offering 5x