In April 1915 Ernest Crosse started the firm of Crosse & Crosse Solicitors in the city of Exeter; he was joined shortly afterwards by his sister who was the first female solicitor to practice as a partner in the South West.  Since then the firm has grown with the times to become a well-known and important part of the modern commercial and family life of Exeter and its surrounding towns and villages. 

Crosse & Crosse has developed a strong practice in the area of leasehold enfranchisement.  Due to their location in the city centre and close to many seaside towns, they deal with a large number of property transactions involving leasehold flats. 

The conveyancing team and enfranchisement practitioners work closely together to ensure that leasehold issues are identified at the earliest opportunity.  They have particular experience of acting for residents in enfranchisement and right to manage claims against difficult freeholders and management companies.  Recent projects have also included lease extensions, rights of first refusal cases, ‘missing landlord’ cases and service charge challenges. Their expertise is increasingly being used by a number of clients outside the South West.

By virtue of their location in Greater London, Thirsk Winton LLP are often instructed in property transactions which involve valuable leasehold apartments, and they have developed a strong focus in the area of Leasehold Enfranchisement. Recent projects have included several high value lease extensions and a significant number of collective freehold acquisitions. They have also been involved in Right of First Refusal cases.

The ALEP 5th Anniversary Dinner will also mark the opening of the nomination process for News on the Block's Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards 2012. For more information about the categories or nomination process, and for table bookings and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the dedicated ERMAs website: www.theermas.co.uk or email events@newsontheblock.com.

For more information about the 5th Anniversary Dinner download the invitation as a PDF. Alternatively contact Liza on admin@alep.org.uk

Take Notice! was presented by valuer Andrew Pridell of Andrew Pridell Associates and solicitor Mark Chick, partner at Bishop & Sewell LLP. The slide deck for the ten point presentation is available for members to download here.  

At the end of the session delegates divided into two groups - solicitors and valuers - to discuss the creation of a possible master checklist that ALEP members could refer to in future.  

Amongst the findings it was concluded that solicitors most value clarity on a surveyor’s valuation, which should include a recommended offer price and details of any apportionments. Sharing knowledge, such as information on any unregistered deed holders, also helps to make the process more efficient.

Areas for concern included negotiations being restarted after Counter Notices are served, issues related to lack of clarity on costs and a lack of transparency on upfront fees.

The valuers’ group raised the debate about who should draw up the plan, i.e. whether it should fall to the solicitor or valuer; whether the Directions from the London LVT in particular are too short, unlike provincial LVTs where the increased level of detail is often very helpful.

Surveyors also bemoaned the level of experience and competence of some solicitors being lower than ideal (an issue ALEP is addressing by vetting the experience of enfranchisement specialists).

Alex Greenslade and Anna Bailey announced an expanded range of activities in 2012 including a dinner to mark ALEP’s fifth anniversary on 2 February, at which the Rt. Hon. Ann Widdecombe will be the guest speaker. This celebratory event is supported by News on the Block and will also mark the opening of the nominations for the 2012 News on the Block Enfranchisement & Right to Manage Awards.

Nic Shulman, editor of News on the Block then announced the launch of the enfranchisement section of the LVT Bulletin. The LVT Bulletin is available to ALEP members for a discounted subscription of £175.

Philip Rainey QC, head of property at Tanfield Chambers then gave the keynote address primarily looking at developments following the decision made on 10 October in the tribunal between Sloane Stanley Estate and Carey-Morgan. This was an appeal from the LVT on a collective claim comprising a small purpose built block in Chelsea comprising 25 flats in which five important issues were covered including the existing leasehold vacant possession values of flats that have five years unexpired.

Following Q&As the Honorary President then brought the conference to a close and a drinks reception followed ending at 7pm.

The next ALEP CPD conference will be in March 2012. Full details will be available on the ALEP website by New Year. 

We are delighted to welcome back ALEP's Honorary President, Damian Greenish of Pemberton Greenish LLP, as host.

ALEP is committed to promoting excellence within the enfranchisement sector and this conference tackles a subject at the heart of enfranchisement in some detail - the preparation and serving of Notices. Philip Rainey QC, a popular speaker, will also bring delegates up to date with recent cases.

Once again we are holding a bonus morning session, led by Clive Booth, ALEP's PR Manager: PR for the enfranchisement professional - are you making the most out of public relations?

Download the conference invitation and booking form here.  

Delegates will be able to meet experts from organisations working in the residential leasehold sector. For further information.

If you are an ALEP member and interested in sponsoring the event, contact event manager, Katherine Hersey-Meade, via email at khm@khmc.co.uk

If you are a leaseholder interested in attending the event please register your interest online at:

http://fpra.websolve.co.uk/

Website of the Year
Winner: Lease Clinic (Comptons)
Highly Commended: Marr-Johnson & Stevens

London Solicitors of the Year, sponsored by Tanfield Chambers
Winner: Forsters
Highly Commended: Pemberton Greenish

Solicitor of the Year, sponsored by Knight Frank
Winner: Graham Jaffe (JPC Law)

Valuers of the Year, sponsored by Wallace LLP
Winner: Marr-Johnson & Stevens

Individual Valuer of Year, sponsored by JPC LAW
Winner: Timothy Martin (Marr-Johnson & Stevens)
Highly Commended: Robert Orr-Ewing (Knight Frank)

Young Professional of the Year
Highly Commended: Katie Cohen (JPC Law)

Congratulations to them and commiserations to the ALEP members among the finalists who did not win. There is always next year!

Go to the conference report and downloads by clicking here

Both the keynotes and the panel sessions are available. The sound has been improved so you may now be able to hear some of the comments that might have been missed on the day.

As usual, the slides are available as downloadable pdf's.

A reminder of the Spring 2011 line up:

Anthony Radevsky
Anthony is a barrister at Falcon Chambers will be discussing the recent McHale case that centred on the relevance or otherwise of the ‘No Act World’ principle in determining tenants’ liability to pay marriage value.

Ray Boulger
Ray Boulger of John Charcol is widely renowned as the guru of the mortgage industry. Against the backdrop of a rapidly-changing market, he will discuss different lenders’ approaches to leasehold property.

 PANEL Q&A SESSION
Fielding questions submitted in advance, the panel will be asked to comment on some of the burning issues of the day to round off the conference. Audience involvement will be encouraged with interactive voting.

Panellists

• Anthony Radevsky
• Ray Boulger
• Samantha Bone of Wallace LLP
• Robert Orr-Ewing of Knight Frank
• David Ramsell of the Cadogan Estate

Access to the audio and the slides is a member benefit so only logged-in members will be able to access it. If you would like CDs of the audio of the main speakers and the panel session from the conference then this is chargeable at £30 ex VAT. Email admin@alep.org.uk if you would like to order.

Go to the conference report and downloads by clicking here

"ALEP hopes that the Budget would bring some relief to hard-pressed owners of leasehold property - both flat owners and freeholders. The property market is stagnant in most parts of suburbia where leasehold flats are very common. Owners of flats and leasehold houses here would benefit from some Stamp Duty reliefs at the lower end for first time buyers who are currently locked out of the market. The property sector was until five years ago a major engine for growth and can be again with some stimulus for leasehold property owners."

15.19 23/3/11
The 2011 Budget on 23 March included a number of changes that will bolster the residential leasehold sector, which ALEP welcomes. They include:

Creation of the FirstBuy programme
The Government will provide an equity investment, jointly funded with house builders, through a FirstBuy programme assisting over 10,000 first-time buyers to purchase a new-build property. The £250 million will be for first time buyers to purchase a new-build property.

SDLT changes
The government believes it will strengthen demand for residential property by reforming the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) rules applied to bulk purchases. This will reduce a barrier to investment in residential property, promoting private rented housing supply. Specifically, if the buyer chooses, the rate of SDLT on purchases of multiple residential properties will be determined by the mean value of the dwellings purchased (subject to a minimum rate of 1%). The outcome of the review of SDLT tax relief for first time buyers is due in “Autumn 2011”.

Support for REITs
Subject to informal consultation, the Government will legislate in Finance Bill 2012 to support good business practices and remove barriers to entry, and investment in, the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)  regime, including removing the REITs 2% conversion charge. The government believes “This will encourage investment in the private rented sector over the longer term”.

Conversion support
Consultation on proposals to make it easier to convert commercial premises to residential use.

Planning changes
The government will introduce a new presumption in favour of sustainable development, so that the default answer to development is ‘yes’. The chancellor called the current planning system 'cumbersome'.

Continuation of SMI
Homeowners facing difficulties will be helped by the extension for a further year of temporary changes to the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme. The 13-week waiting period and £200,000 limit on eligible mortgage capital will now remain in force for new working age SMI claimants until January 2013.

Click here for the full text of the Chancellor’s Budget

Last year’s ERMA’s was an extremely enjoyable evening, even for the non-enfranchisement people in the room.  Part of ALEP’s event programme includes social networking events and we believe that the ERMA’s also present an excellent opportunity for networking and client entertainment. So, why not book some tickets and come along to the evening even if you are not up for an award this year.

We would also like to encourage our members to nominate themselves and, in particular, others for awards at this year’s event.  So, for example, lawyers can nominate valuers who have impressed them and vice-versa.  All nominations (except self-nominations!) are being placed into a prize draw to win one of two amazing prizes - a Ferrari driving day and a Spa Day.  The draw will be made on the evening of the awards.

There is NO CHARGE for entry and there are a variety of award categories, so all of our members should find an award category to enter.  The Award categories are:

• Barrister of the Year sponsored by Pemberton Greenish
• Chambers of the Year
• London Solicitors of the Year sponsored by Tanfield Chambers
• Regional Solicitors of the Year
• Solicitor of the Year sponsored by Knight Frank
• Legal Assistant of the Year
• Valuers of the Year
• Individual Valuer of the Year sponsored by Jaffe Porter Crossick
• Young Professional of the Year
• Website of the Year
• Outstanding Achievement of the Year (no self-nomination)

All the information you need to enter, book or sponsor the ERMA’s can be found at http://www.theermas.co.uk.

You can also contact News on the Block, the organiser of the awards, directly on 0845  618 7746.

210 delegates were privileged to hear two fantastic but very different speakers. Anthony Radevsky, barrister at Falcon Chambers, talked about the recent McHale case that centred on the relevance or otherwise of the ‘No Act World’ principle in determining tenants’ liability to pay marriage value. Ray Boulger of mortgage broker John Charcol brought enfranchisement into the real world with some revealing insights into how lenders deal with short leases.

A lively and sometimes controversial panel question and answer session was chaired by ALEP Honorary President Damian Greenish and included the two keynote speakers plus Samantha Bone of Wallace LLP, Robert Orr-Ewing of Knight Frank and David Ramsell of the Cadogan Estate.

The conference also had presentations from ALEP’s press officer Clive Booth encouraging members to let him know all their news. Honorary President Alex Greenslade reviewed the 6 months so far and revealed the new ALEP At The Horses social event to be run later in the year. Promotions and Members Services officer Andy Szebeni reviewed the many improvements to the ALEP web site and the current online marketing activities.

A bonus session in the morning covering business networking skills was delivered by Andy Szebeni. Almost 40 attendees were able to practice their new-found skills at the coffee break and during the drinks reception immediately after the main conference.

Photographer Andrew Dunsmore was on duty and images from the conference will shortly be available for all to view on the web site.

The conference team is processing the responses to the interactive voting and members will shortly be able to download all the slides including the voting results.

The audio of the conference is available for members to download for free. Non members can order the recording for £30 ex VAT. Please email using the contact form to order today.

For downloads, audio and photographs go to the the past event story by clicking here