In theory, the vendor should pay any amount outstanding on these charges but he could refuse to do so. I suggested a reduction in the price to cover this amount but the vendor says that the property has increased in value since he accepted the offer and will not reduce the price. I have a mortgage offer for the asking price but I’m really annoyed that it has got to this stage before finding out this information. Can I sue the estate agent for negligence?Karen Moore, OxfordA.
This is an extremely annoying situation but on this occasion it may well have been impossible for the agent to have found out this type of information. However, the maintenance charges should have been noted on the details of the property. Venus Williams, seeded to meet Serena in the final, was scheduled to meet the fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva, of Russia, in the quarter-finals.As the fourth-seeded Andre Agassi prepared to play Agustin Calleri, of Argentina, in the fourth round of the men’s singles, he was asked if it was comforting that Roger Federer, the Swiss world No 1, had been eliminated in the opposite side of the draw.”I don’t think much about it,” said Agassi, who is going for his seventh title here “I got asked that for a decade with Pete [Sampras] You’re thinking more about Sunday [and the final] than I am. If the developer has something to hide, he may be reluctant to arrange this.Q. I have been trying to buy a flat for some months and asked the agent at the outset to find out what the maintenance charges were before I proceeded He gave me a rough estimate with a promise to follow it up. Now my solicitor has found out that there is an outstanding sum of £1,000 payable for internal decorations to the common parts, which have not yet been carried out. Some UK solicitors will handle sales abroad or advise you of someone who does.
Read one of the many excellent books on buying a property in Spain before you visit the proposed development and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask to speak to other people who have bought from the same developer to see what their experience has been. Q I am considering buying a property in Spain off-plan. What are the risks involved in this type of property investment and what type of enquiries should be carried out on a company before investing money?
Q I am considering buying a property in Spain off-plan. Don’t sign anything written in Spanish – it must be translated into English so that you fully understand it, and don’t hand over any money, even if you are pressurised to do so to reserve a property.