The demand that went to the old owner
A flat in one of your blocks sold in the spring. The buyer's solicitor sent a notice with a covering letter to your general inbox. It was filed, but the leaseholder record was not updated. The next service charge demand went to the seller, who ignored it, and the buyer only found out when a reminder arrived months later with an arrears balance they had never seen.
Now you have a confused buyer, an annoyed seller, a solicitor asking about the apportionment and a property manager untangling it.
Why owner changes get missed
The information arrives in fragments and from outside your firm: a completion notice, a deed, a fee, updated contact details, sometimes a request for a final statement. Each piece may go to a different inbox, and there is rarely one place that says 'this flat is mid-sale, this is what we have, this is what is missing'.
Your block management system can hold the new owner once someone enters them. The gap is the process before that point, which is done in email and memory.
What that gap costs
Demands to the wrong person lead to arrears that are not really arrears, awkward calls and time spent reallocating payments. Final accounts for sellers are delayed. Buyers start their relationship with your firm on a bad note. And your leaseholder list slowly drifts away from reality, which affects everything from AGM notices to consultation mailings.
The completion workflow we build
We build a small workflow that starts when a sale is first mentioned, often at the sales pack stage, and ends when the record is correct and the seller's account is settled. Your own procedure decides what documents and fees apply.
- Sale opened: a sales pack request or solicitor's email opens a sale record against the flat, linked to the seller.
- Document capture: solicitor emails with completion notices or deeds are recognised by a language model, attached to the sale and the key details extracted, such as buyer name, completion date and correspondence address.
- Checklist: the sale record shows which items your process requires have been received and which are still outstanding, with fees tracked.
- Record update: once a person confirms, the new owner is written to your block management system through its API or a prepared import, with the effective date.
- Seller's account: a final statement for the seller is prepared from the ledger with any apportionment worked out on your rules, for a person to check and send.
- Welcome: the buyer receives a welcome email with how to pay, how to report repairs and where to find block information.
| Received | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sales pack request | Sale record opened against the flat |
| Completion notice from solicitor | Details extracted, awaiting confirmation |
| Other documents your process requires | Ticked off the checklist, gaps chased |
| Confirmation by staff | Owner record updated, seller's account prepared |
After the change
Every sale in progress is visible, with what has arrived and what is missing. Records change on the right date, demands go to the right person and sellers get their final statement without chasing. Buyers hear from you before they hear about arrears.
Your leaseholder list stays accurate, which quietly improves every mailing you send.
Signs owner changes are slipping
- Demands have gone to former owners after a sale.
- Completion notices are filed but records are not updated.
- Sellers chase for their final statements.
- You cannot list which flats are currently mid-sale.
- Buyers first hear from you when they receive a reminder.