Review left by Martin

For more than 20 years, we have suffered at the hands of an incompetent, intransigent and greedy Freeholder who consistently failed to properly maintain the building in which our flat is located, whilst simultaneously over-charging for shoddy repairs that were undertaken to the building. This combined with a decreasing lease length, made it progressively difficult to sell. Ian Anderson at Curwens was absolutely brilliant whilst undertaking several conveyancing transactions on buy-to-let flats on our behalf. Despite Ian's warning that the Freeholder's blatant disregard for properly maintaining this once magnificent Grade II listed building were likely to continue should we continue with our purchase of this flat, we naively accepted the written assurance from the Freeholder, confirmed in writing by the professional management company that the contract was being imminently transferred over to them. The promised transfer for the building's future maintenance away from the Freeholder didn't materialize for almost another 15 years, by which time the continuing deterioration to the fabric of the building had made it increasingly difficult to sell our flat, or rent it out. Our difficulties were further exacerbated by the Freeholder consistently refusing to enter into negotiations to extend our lease. Ian's remarkable depth of knowledge, experience and professionalism eventually led us to speak to Adrian Boulter at Curwens in order to try and find a way of extricating ourselves from the difficult impasse which we had eventually found ourselves entangled in. We believe Adrian's professionalism, depth of knowledge and the patient manner in which he unstintingly gave of his time in answering our questions and allaying our concerns, could not be improved upon. Despite various shenanigans, delaying tactics and gross incompetence by the Freeholder's solicitors, who clearly didn't understand the correct legislative procedures and time limits that applied, Adrian managed to successfully negotiate our lease extension at substantially less cost than the Freeholders had been demanding. Whilst we were put to the additional expense and costs of applying for a First Tier Tribunal hearing, eventually settled at the last possible minute prior to the Court hearing, Adrian managed to get the other side's inflated costs reduced by about 80%. We have no hesitation in recommending Adrian Boulter to anyone requiring a lease extension. In fact, we will be utilising Adrian's services for another lease extension in the very near future, although this transaction is anticipated to be much more straightforward, as this Freeholder has undertaken competent management and maintenance of the building and held the charges at the same level for the last nine years. Martin French and Pam Sharp