3 minute read
DamIaN GREENISh INTERvIEwED
Aiming for excellence
Damian Greenish is the new Honorary President of ALEP. He talks to Flat Living about his plans for the forthcoming year.
What is ALEP?
ALEP stands for the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners. The organisation was established in 2007 in response to the concerns of leaseholders, who wanted reassurance that the organisations they were dealing with were reputable. With around 100 members, ALEP brings together barristers, solicitors, valuers, managing agents and others with a professional interest in leasehold enfranchisement, aiming to promote excellence and develop the profile of this complex sector of the law and valuation as it relates to leasehold enfranchisement.
What are the aims of ALEP?
Our aim is to provide peace of mind for leaseholders, so that if they use an ALEP member, they will be reassured that person is experienced and competent in matters related to leasehold enfranchisement, and in particular lease extensions and freehold acquisitions. ALEP members are required to demonstrate an agreed standard of competence and must commit to high professional standards, quality customer service and a strong level of market knowledge. The Association also provides a forum for networking and discussion in order to keep members abreast of new developments and to promote excellence among the membership.
What new dimension do you hope to bring to the organisation?
As a longstanding practising solicitor and author, I have a personal reputation within the leasehold enfranchisement sector. I hope to make good use of this on ALEP’s behalf, raising the profile of the Association and giving us a stronger voice with government and other professional bodies.
What are your plans to expand member numbers?
We have a big potential membership because anyone involved in residential conveyancing should know something about leasehold enfranchisement. We can only increase our membership by raising our profile and we aim to do that via our conferences – two each year in the spring and autumn – and through press coverage and by being more involved in government consultations. Persuading government to listen is vitally important. Often government takes decisions in this sector that are politically motivated rather than providing practical solutions to problems. More consultation would be better for everyone.
What upcoming changes in regulation will affect your members?
At present there is no appetite for major legislative change – the new government has other things on its mind and I’m not aware that it is looking in particular at leasehold enfranchisement.
What effect will the new government have on your industry in particular and residential property in general?
The tax implications in the recent emergency budget will inevitably filter through to property and it remains to be seen what the impact of the new Capital Gains Tax rate will have on investors. The coalition government will undoubtedly be less regulatory in their approach – the abolition of HIPs is an early example of this - although the rental sector is fairly well de-regulated already.
How has the recession affected the number of notices served on freeholders?
As you would expect, the recession had a significant impact on notices. In 2008/9 the number of notices being given plummeted. In 2009/10 there was a sudden uplift in the number of notices being served as people tried to call the bottom of the market, which arguably came at the end of last year. The availability of funding and lease lengths also makes a difference to timing.
