More With Moreira: The Business Podcast

Leases and Litigation With Cassandra Zanelli

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Desmond is in discussion with Cassandra Zanelli partner and Head of Property Management at  PM legal, solicitor and honorary consultant to the FPRA. 

They discuss leases and leasehold reform along with some of the challenging aspects of being a management agent. This episode explores issues and topics that are pertinent to any agent, listen in to find out more. 

  

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

Leasehold reform 

  • We all know there are areas of leasehold that need reform, it is important as we have an opportunity, to ensure we take the time to review and examine the changes that will make the difference. 
  • There is a large amount of expertise and experience within the pool of agents who should be represented and part of the process of reform. 
    • The group have an important job to do and it will change the landscape of block management. 
    • There is an expectation that things will be better but if the industry wants things to be change positively then it must be prepared to pay more for this. 

      • Leases 

      • There is great variation between leases, there can be different leases on properties within the same block. 
      • Would you prefer a 100-page document that covers every eventuality or 20 pages that may have more wiggle room? 
        • When you are looking at a lease document you can be looking at a document that was written a number of years ago. Trying to interpret it and fit it into the world of today, which is vastly different can be very challenging. 
        • It can be difficult for the leaseholder and management agent to understand leases due to the language and structure of the document. 
        • People should be given much more comprehensive information when they are viewing so they can compare. 
        • There have to be some rules and regulations when you live communally as when you are in a block of flats everything is amplified due to this communal aspect. 
        • Working with a conveyancing solicitor who doesn’t specialise in or is not experienced in leasehold can be very challenging. 
          • Leasehold requires a very specialised and specific area of expertise in the sales process. 

            • Tribunals 

            • When you are attending a tribunal, you have to be very clear about the case and its details. 
            • The advantage with a tribunal is that the problem is being reviewed by experts, a  lawyer chairs the tribunal joined by a surveyor member and a lay member, each contributes specific and very specialist knowledge enabling effective action to resolve issues. 
            • Management agents have a difficult job to do they are expected to be multi-skilled and multi-talented in order to deal with the many different facets of the agent role. 

              •   

              BEST MOMENTS 

              ‘Being transparent and upfront is key’ 

              ‘Each site has its own challenges’ 

              ‘Sometimes we are so stuck in our ways we don’t embrace change’ 

              ‘Owners using properties for Airbnb don’t appreciate the increase in traffic that running as an Airbnb causes’ 

              ‘It all has to go back to the leases, do the leases allow for the use of the property for such short term letting?’ 

                

              VALUABLE RESOURCES 

              More With Moreira Podcast 

              Cassandra Zanelli LinkedIn 

                

              ABOUT THE HOST 

              I don’t know how this works, but you’re here now listening (hopefully) about my exciting life, so I’m going to try and make this worth your while. I never got inspired at school, I was too busy trying to impress my peers, chasing girls, and being a fool to get inspired. I rejected school. But let me tell you something for free! That was a mistake! I spent the next 15 years in jobs I hated, with no direction, lacked purpose, and motivation for life. Yes, big words, but that was me in a box. A slave to the system! Fast forward to today, and well, I’m not sitting in my ivory tower or anything, but I love life and my career. Yeah, it’s both painful and exciting rolled and wrapped up into one giant subway, and who doesn’t love subway rite? The point is, you only get one life, don’t waste it pursuing things you care nothing for, invest in YOURSELF and grow as a person, be the best YOU by putting YOU first!   

                

              CONTACT METHOD 

              http://desmondmoreira.co.uk 

              https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo6eVOt1YEQD0dxNkRXevVg/featured 

              https://twitter.com/Desmondmoreira 

              https://www.instagram.com/desmondmoreira 

              This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

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              More With Moreira: The Business PodcastBy Desmond Moreira