[2000] EWLands LRA_9_2000 (05 October 2000)
LRA/9/2000
LANDS TRIBUNAL ACT 1949
LEASEHOLD ENFRANCHISEMENT - Premium payable for new extended lease of flat
- Value of existing lease - Value of extended lease - Deferment yield rate - Evidential value of settlements - Appeal dismissed.
IN THE MATTER OF AN APPEAL FROM A DECISION OF
THE LEASEHOLD VALUATION TRIBUNAL FOR
THE LONDON RENT ASSESSMENT PANEL
BETWEEN HOWARD DE WALDEN ESTATES LIMITED Appellant
and
ADAM VON DIOSZEGHY Respondent
Re: Flat 7, Carisbrooke Court
63-69 Weymouth Street
London W1N 3LJ
Before: N J Rose FRICS
Sitting in public at 48/49 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1JR
on 14 September 2000
The following cases are referred to in this decision:
Lloyd-Jones v Church Commissioners for England (1981) 261 EG 471
Cadogan Estates Ltd v Hows and Another [1989} 48 EG 167
Land Securities Plc v Westminster City Council {1992} 44 EG 153
Christopher Stoner, instructed by Speechly Bircham, for the Appellant
The Respondent in person.
DECISION
Facts
Issues
The issues in dispute before me were as follows:
(i) The value of the respondent's existing lease, disregarding the value, if any, of tenant's improvements and also the respondent's right to an extended lease under the 1993 Act.
(ii) The value of the proposed extended lease, for 121.83 years at a peppercorn, assuming vacant possession and disregarding the value, if any, attributable to tenant's improvements.
(iii) The yield rate at which the value of the freeholder's reversionary interest is to be deferred until expiry of the head lease on 6 April 2031.
Appellant | LVT | Respondent (Alternative) |
|
Extended Lease | £190,000 | £180,000 | £160,000 |
Existing lease | £110,000 | £115,000 | £120,000 |
Deferment Rate | 6% | 6.5% | 8% |
Value of Existing and Extended Leases
Deferment Rate
"As can been seen from all this evidence, a deferment rate of 6% has been applied consistently to a variety of different residential properties in different locations on the Estate ranging from apartments in the grand buildings fronting Portland Place to smaller flats and houses on the periphery of the Estate, such as Basildon Court or in Beaumont Street. It is therefore my opinion that an investor, having regard to the prospects of capital growth for residential properties in the locality of the subject property, compared to other similarly well located areas in central London, and also having regard to the deferment rate of 6% applied consistently across the Howard de Walden Estate, will bid for the freeholder's reversion at a value based on a deferment rate of not more than 6%".
"Weymouth Court is located just outside the eastern boundary of the Estate. I have to say that I consider the yield of 8% to be high given the settlement evidence on the Estate".
"I believe that such evidence of the land market should be followed unless it is contradicted by stronger evidence from the land market which is directly relevant to one or more particular case."
In my opinion the reversionary rate of 8% agreed for 4 Weymouth Street by surveyors with experience on the Howard de Walden Estate is of greater weight than the settlement evidence, where apparently not one tenant's surveyor has been prepared to confirm his agreement to a rate of 6%.
"On behalf of our client we hereby offer to compromise the pending appeal on the following terms:-
a) That the amount of the premium to be paid by your client for the new lease of the above flat should be £57,300, rather than the figure fixed by the Leashold Valuation Tribunal namely £52,615 and
b) that each party is to bear its own costs in relation to this appeal to date.
We enclose our client's surveyor's valuation showing how the said settlement figure of £57,300 has been calculated. Please note that for the purposes of this Calderbank offer the vacant possession values determined by the Tribunal are not disputed and the diminution in the value of our client's interest has been calculated by reference to a capitalisation rate of 6% and a yield rate of 6%."
On 17 May 1999 the tenant's solicitors replied:
"Our client is willing to compromise the appeal ... on the terms set out in your letter of 21 April 1999."
"In principle the judgment, verdict or award of another tribunal is not admissible evidence to prove a fact in issue or a fact relevant to the issue in other proceedings between different parties."
The wisdom of this rule is apparent from a brief consideration of three of the decisions upon which Mr Clark particularly relied.
"As a Tribunal we have been much exercised as to the evidential value of these settlements. Mr Radevsky on behalf of the nominee purchaser makes a strong case against them...
Against these weighty arguments, we have the authority of two decisions of the Lands Tribunal; they relate to properties under the ownership of the same reversioner who appears before us and the Lands Tribunal approved as evidence the calculation sheets made by Mr Macpherson's former partner in the Lloyd-Jones case and by Mr Macpherson himself in the Hows case... the factual position cannot be ignored that over a period of 15 years a rate of 6% was consistently applied for capitalisation and deferment of settlements relating to 20 to 30 year leases, and sums paid for enfranchisement to the Estate were calculable on that basis. As there were no other sales these transactions, even if conducted in an unusually consistent manner, effectively represented in fact the local land market. On balance, and mindful that we are an inferior Tribunal to the Lands Tribunal, we consider for the purposes of transactions arising on the same Estate and in relation to the same type of enfranchisement that we must accept in this case the negotiated settlements as evidence. This decision in no way determines the evidential value of settlements when applied to different estates, different landlords and different areas of London."
"Mr Hopper's calculation of the value of the reversion in stage A was substantiated by reference to 57 enfranchisement prices settled under section 9 (1A) in respect of houses on the Grosvenor and Cadogan London Estates. Full details of the calculations used were put before me: they were on the same lines as Mr Hopper's valuation above. In almost all cases the percentages used were 10% for the deduction and 6% for the deferment. On the other hand, Mr Hewitt's use of 10% for deferment was unsupported by reference to any transaction."
"The difference between the parties, basically whether 6% (freeholder) for both exercises or 7% (lessee), can be dealt with more briefly, since essentially the freeholder relies upon the evidence of the settlements and the lessee upon the practice of this tribunal and leasehold valuation tribunals in previous cases. Mr Strathon produced in evidence 330 settlements, 134 under section 9 (1) and 196 under section 9 (1A), where, almost without exception, 6% had been used. Mr Boston used 7% in his valuation because he regarded that as the normal rate adopted by this tribunal despite the fact that he had been concerned in negotiations on behalf of lessees in respect of three of the section 9(1A) settlements at 6% produced by Mr Strathon."
Dated:
(Signed) N J Rose FRICS
ADDENDUM ON COSTS
Dated:
(Signed) N J Rose FRICS
Appendix 1
Flat 7, Carisbrooke Court, 63-69 Weymouth Street, London W1
Valuation of J M Clark BSc ARICS
£ | £ | £ | £ | |||
A) | Diminution in Value of Intermediate Leaseholder's Interest - agreed (equals value of existing interest) |
510 | ||||
B) | Diminution in Value of Freeholder's Interest | |||||
a) | Value of Freeholder's Existing Interest on Reversion | |||||
(Assuming no headlease rent reduction) | ||||||
Reversion to value of freehold in possession | ||||||
Value of lease with 121.83 years unexpired @ peppercorn rent | 190,000 | |||||
Uplift to value of freehold equivalent by 2% | 193,800 | |||||
Freehold equivalent say | 194,000 | |||||
Defer 31.83 years @ 6% | 0.1565 | |||||
30,361 | ||||||
b) | Value of Landlord's Proposed Interest | |||||
Reversion to value of freehold in possession | 194,000 | |||||
Defer 121.83 years @ 6% | 0.00083 | |||||
161 | ||||||
c) | Diminution in Value of Freeholder's Interest | 30,200 | ||||
C) | Diminution in Value of Landlords' Interests | 30,710 | ||||
D) | Calculation of Marriage Value | |||||
a) | Value of Proposed Interests | |||||
Freeholder's | 161 | |||||
Intermediate Leaseholder's | Nil | |||||
Tenant's (lease for 121.83 years) | 190,000 | |||||
b) | Value of Existing Interests | 190.161 | ||||
Freeholder's | 30,361 | |||||
Intermediate Leaseholder's | 510 | |||||
Tenant's | 110,000 | |||||
140,871 | ||||||
c) | Marriage Value | 49,290 | ||||
Attributed to Landlord @ 50.00% | 24,645 |
£ | £ | £ | £ | |||
E) | Enfranchisement Price | 55,355 | ||||
F) | Landlord's Other Losses | nil | ||||
G) | Premium Payable Say | 55,350 | ||||
H) | Apportionment of Marriage Value between Freeholder and Intermediate Leaseholder | |||||
a) | To Intermediate Leaseholder | |||||
24,645 X | 510 30,710 |
= | 409 | |||
b) | To Freeholder | |||||
24,645 X | 30,200 30,710 |
24,236 | ||||
24,645 | ||||||
I) | Apportionment of Premium between Freeholder and Intermediate Leaseholder | |||||
a) | To Intermediate Leaseholder | |||||
Diminution in value of interest | 510 | |||||
Share of Marriage value | 409 | |||||
Other losses | Nil | |||||
919 | ||||||
Say | 900 | |||||
b) | To Freeholder | |||||
Diminution in value of interest | 30,200 | |||||
Share of Marriage Value | 24,236 | |||||
Other Losses | Nil | |||||
54,436 | ||||||
Say | 54,450 | |||||
55,350 |
Appendix 2
Flat 7, Carisbrooke Court, 63-69 Weymouth Street, London, W1
LVT Decision
£ | £ | £ | ||||
A) | Diminution in Value of Intermediate Leaseholder's Interest - agreed | 510 | ||||
B) | Diminution in Value of Freeholder's Interest | |||||
Value of Freeholder's Existing Interest on Reversion | ||||||
a) | (Assuming no headlease rent reduction) | |||||
Reversion to value of ferehold in possession | ||||||
Value of lease with 121.83 years unexpired @ peppercorn |
180,000 |
|||||
Uplift to value of freehold equivalent by 2% | 183,600 | |||||
Defer 31.83 years @ 6.50% | 0.1346 24712 |
|||||
b) | Value of Freeholder's Proposed Interest | |||||
Reversion to value of freehold in possession | 183,600 | |||||
Defer 121.83 years @ 6.50% |
0.0004674 86 |
|||||
c) | Diminution in Value of Freeholder's Interests | 24626 | ||||
C) | Diminution in Value of Landlords' Interest | 25136 | ||||
D) | Calculation of Marriage Value | |||||
a) | Value of Proposed Interest | |||||
Freeholder's | 86 | |||||
Intermediate Leaseholder's | nil | |||||
Tenant's( lease for 121.83 years) | 180,000 | 180,086 | ||||
b) | Value of Existing Interests | |||||
Freeholder's | 24,712 | |||||
Intermediate Leaseholder's | 510 | |||||
Tenant's (lease for 31.83 years) | 115,000 | |||||
140,222 | ||||||
c) | Marriage Value | 39,864 | ||||
Atrributed to Landlord @ 50% | 19932 | |||||
£ | £ | £ | £ | |||
E) | Enfranchisement Price | 45,068 | ||||
F) | Landlord's Other Losses | nil | ||||
G) | Premium Payable | |||||
Say | 45,050 | |||||
H) | Apportionment of Marriage Value between Freeholder and Intermediate Leaseholder |
|||||
a) | To Intermediate Leaseholder | 19932 X | 510 25136 |
= 404 | ||
b) | To Freeholder | |||||
19932 X | 24626 25136 |
= 19,528 | ||||
19,932 | ||||||
I) | Apportionment of Premium between Freeholder and Intermediate Leaseholder |
|||||
a) | To Intermediate Leaseholder | |||||
Diminution in value of interest | 510 | |||||
Share of marriage value | 404 | |||||
Other losses | Nil | |||||
914 | ||||||
Say | 900 | |||||
b) | To Freeholder | |||||
Diminution in value of interest | 24626 | |||||
Share of marriage value | 19528 | |||||
Other losses | Nil | |||||
44154 | ||||||
Say | 44150 | |||||
£45050 |