Leasehold Definitions - Jargon Buster

32 definitions for letter D:

Damp course, damp-proof c., dpc

A layer of impervious material laid in a wall to exclude water, usually at least 150 mm (6 in.) above ground level, as well as above the junctions of parapet walls with a roof and above or before the door or window openings. Vertical damp courses (tanking) of asphalt material keep basements dry. Damp courses may be flexible or rigid. They were not required by law until the Public Health Act 1875. See dampness, also BSCP 102.

Damp proof membrane

A sheet of polythene or other impervious material incorporated in a solid floor to prevent rising damp.

Dap, dapping (carp.) (mainly USA)

A sinking such as those made for timber connectors, or a housing for a ribbon board in a stud.

Deciduous trees (tim.)

Trees which lose their leaves every year, that is all hardwoods and a few softwoods. See larch.

Deed of variation

See "Defective Lease" below.

Deeds

Deeds are legal proofs of ownership, held by the Lender.

Defective lease

A badly drafted lease. If this is serious, the vendor may have to obtain a "deed of variation" getting the freeholder's permission to change the original terms of the lease.

Deferment rate

An investment valuation term that represents the perentage rate by which the right to receive either an income or a future capital value is postponed

Deposit

This is a sum of money required from the buyer when he enters into an enforceable agreement. This is usually on the signing of the contract, and can be between 5 and 10 per cent of the purchase price.

Detached

A property that is physically separate from the neighbouring properties.

Determination Date

The determination date is the Landlord's deadline (typically at least 30 days after the issuance of the Claim Notice).for response to the Claim Notice.

Development

A Development is a general term used to describe either modernised & renovated existing property or a newly built property.

Dilapidations

These refer to disrepair or damage done to a rented property.

Director

A Company Director is legally accountable for the running of the Right to Manage Company. He, or she is legally obliged to comply with Company law and with Health & Safety law.

Disbursements

These are fees paid by the buyer's solicitor on the buyer's behalf, such as stamp duty, land registry fees, and search fees.

Discharge

The discharge of the mortgage is the process of paying it off.

District surveyor

A civil or structural engineer (C), an official peculiar to London, whose responsibility is the approval of building design and construction from the point of view of safety (fire, stability, etc.) in his district, usually a former London borough. He is an employee of the Greater London Council.

Dormer window

A window which projects outwards from a pitched roof.

Dot and dab fixing

A refinement of plaster dab fixing using small pieces (75 x 50 mm or 3 x 2 in.) of insulating board (usually bitumen-impregnated-fibre) of suitable thickness. They are bedded on the wall in board finish plaster smears and levelled with a straight edge. They are placed about 450 mm (18 in.) apart horizontally and not more than 1 m (3 ft 4 in.) apart vertically. These pieces of board are the dots. When the plaster has set, plaster dabs are placed on them. Plasterboards are pressed on the dabs and held in place with lifting wedges. The dabs should not be less than 25 mm (1 in.) from the edges of the boards to keep the correct alignment of the boards. (One dab may interfere with a neighbouring board). Once the plasterboard has been trued it can be temporarily fixed with a few rust-resisting double-headed nails (C) that are withdrawn when the dabs have set, leaving only a few small holes to fill.

Double glazing

Glazing in which two layers of glass are separated by air space for thermal or acoustic insulation. Sealed units are commonly installed for thermal insulation. Heat losses are therefore nearly halved and condensation usually prevented, but this type only slightly reduces the volume of sound passing through the window.

Draft contract

This is a preliminary unconfirmed version of the contract, prepared by the vendor's solicitor

Drip channel

A drip.

Dry lining

This is a method of finishing to walls whereby they are lined with plasterboard rather than layers of wet plaster based coats. After which, a thin finishing coat of plaster is then applied. This method of finishing an interior wall ensures that the plaster dries significantly quicker (hence the name).

Dutch auction

The original meaning refers to an auction in reverse, where an offer price is announced and the auctioneer gradually reduces it until a bid is made. However this meaning has been lost, and a Dutch auction now refers to the informal bidding that takes place when two or more potential buyers are outbidding each other for a property.

Duty to Provide Information Notice - Section 93

A request that can be sent after the issuance of the Claim Notice to the Landlord by the RTM Company for the information required to run the Block.

Deed of covenant

A legal document which is executed by the parties whereby one party undertakes to perform certain obligations. Normally used in the context of a conveyance whereby the purchaser enters into a deed of covenant effectively promising to abide by the covenants set out in the original lease for the property which he/she is buying. This is because when a lease on a property is created it is created for a term of years (say 99) and the original parties to that lease remain on it for the entire 99 years. When a property is sold the buyer buys the same lease as written but enters into a deed of covenant being his/her promise to abide by all covenants in the original lease.

Dry rot

A type of rot called serpula lacrymans which is a wood-destroying fungus which reduces the structural integrity of a timbers and is therefore best known for its ability to destroy timbers in buildings.Dry rot is distinctive by its cuboidal cracking which causes wood to shrink and darken. At different stages of gestation wood may be either covered with a silky grey mushroom coloured skin, have patches of yellow or lilac or orangy/red fruiting bodies with wide pores nearby which you may find rust red dust. In humid conditions a white fluffly mycelium can develop, active decay is notable by its musty damp odour.

Dilapidations survey (Schedule of dilapidations)

A survey usually carried out by a Chartered Surveyor or Chartered Building Engineer the objective of which is to produce a list of wants of repair (dilapidations). Often a Schedule of Dilapidations would be carried out during a commercial lease in which the Freeholder or owner of the property has passed certain repairing obligations to the lessee or tenant in occupation. A Schedule of Dilapidations would be called by the owner to identify in the context of the lease what repairs are due.

Demise

The term used to refer to a property over which the occupation rights are conveyed to a person, ie, the demise includes all that property known as the first floor flat. Could also refer to a car parking space in a development

DDA - Disability Discrimination Act

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was passed by the government to further extend provide for the rights of disabled people to prevent discrimination to access to public buildings

Dormant company

A company that is not trading, but still legally exists, ie, the company has not been wound up or struck off the register at Companies House. In the context of estate management a company might be able to be considered as dormant if, it does not

1. receive any income, ie, interest or ground rent
2. buy or sell any assets, ie, purchase the freehold in a given year, or sell a share in the Freehold to a non freehold shareholder
3. have a company bank account, or hold any funds in its own name

Different Grades of Listing

Listed buildings are placed in one of three grades, which give an indication of their relative importance - grade I, grade II* or grade II. Grade I and II* listed buildings are a small proportion (about 6% nationally) of all listed buildings. They are particularly important to the nation's built heritage as buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest, their significance is beyond dispute. Grade II listed buildings include the majority of listed buildings representing a major element in the historic quality of Camden.
Grading can be changed where re-evaluation takes place after damage or alteration, or as more evidence of a building's history or architectural quality comes to light. But the statutory controls on alterations apply equally to all listed buildings whatever the grade.