An homeowner says she has been left unable to sell her old flat after discovering its freehold was never properly registered, leaving her facing a potential £80,000 bill to resolve the situation.

Maxine Phipps, 55, bought the flat at Nayeem Court, Aldershot in 2012 and first tried to sell it in 2018. She was told the lease, which had around 70 years remaining at the time, would need extending before a sale could proceed.

She says she was put in touch with the man she believed to be the freeholder, who agreed to extend the lease for around £12,000. However, he subsequently became uncontactable.

After pursuing the matter for several years, Maxine says she discovered the freehold title had never been registered and that the company connected to the property's original developer had gone bankrupt before she bought the flat.

She understands the freehold has now passed to the Crown. Maxine says she has been told purchasing it would cost the four flat owners around £80,000 and that she has been unable to extend her lease.

“I pay a mortgage every month for a property which is deemed worthless and unsellable,” said Ms Phipps, who is now staying with her partner in Lower Farnham Road.

Maxine says the flat would be worth around £250,000 with the lease issue resolved, compared with the £140,000 she paid for it. Her mortgage currently stands at around £75,000.

She has sought help from Citizens Advice, solicitors and MPs, but says she has been unable to find a way forward.

She is particularly concerned about the impact on her retirement and her two daughters, who do not currently own homes.

“I thought I’d just be able to sell it, get some extra money from it, the equity, and that would be that,” she said.

“It's my retirement and my inheritance to my daughters.”

Maxine, who has since says the situation has also taken a toll on her wellbeing.

“I’m crying out for someone to help me,” she said. “I just want someone to listen and realise this has mucked my life up because I can’t do what I want to do.”

She hopes publicity around her case could lead to someone coming forward with a solution.