Barratt West Midlands (Barratt Homes) Leasehold enfranchisement problems (Barratt Homes)

Member Name: ojsmith

Product:	Barratt Homes
Date:	28/02/05 (2732 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Wasted 8 months of my life, Delays to house sale cost me £17,000, Don't return letters and phone calls

Please see the full details at www.BarrattHomeowners.co.uk

I have owned my leasehold house since May 2002, the freehold being owned by Barratt West Midlands who originally built the house. In June 2004, having become stressed at work and lost long term interest in my job, I decided to resign, to sell the house and take a gap year in Australia. At the time, the housing market was extremely buoyant in the area, and I expected to make a quick sale and getaway to Australia by autumn.

I put the house on the market at the end of June 2004, and requested a quotation from Barratt to purchase the freehold (enfranchise the lease). I accepted an offer on the house at the beginning of August from Mr A, he wanted to purchase the freehold at the same time, and there is no good reason why this should not have happened. Unfortunately, Barratt's solicitors, the Wood Glaister partnership were reluctant to respond to Mr A, and it eventually emerged that Barratt were trying to sell the freehold on my house to a third party. Barratt started this process in July, and despite giving me a quotation to buy the freehold on 29 June, they never bothered to inform me that this was happening, let alone offer me first refusal.

After weeks of delays and a formal request from myself, Barratt stated that all sales of freeholds had been put on hold, and there was no timescale for change. Mr A pulled out of the sale on 8 October, citing the delays and uncertainties over the lease. I was left trying to sell a house with an unresolved problem, at a time when the market was looking increasingly vulnerable.

It took many phone calls and letters before Barratt finally agreed in mid-December to sell the freehold to me. Further delays by Barratt and their solicitors meant the transaction took until 22 February 2005 to complete. I am finally in a position to sell my house, nearly eight months after I first tried to.

It is my opinion that Barratt should have:
Informed me that they wanted to sell the freehold at the earliest opportunity.
Offered me first refusal to purchase the freehold.
Withdrawn the freehold on my house from their "portfolio for sale" and sold it to Mr A when requested in August.
Replied to my letter and phone calls to managing director John Payne asking for action and assistance in October.
Apologised for their failure to do any of these.

If you've been similarly affected, please get in touch via www.BarrattHomeowners.co.uk

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