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Eigentumswohnung

English translation: freehold apartment; (now) commonhold flat (BE); (prev.) flying freehold

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Eigentumswohnung
English translation:freehold apartment; (now) commonhold flat (BE); (prev.) flying freehold
Entered by: KirstyMacC (X)

21:50 Mar 9, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Real Estate
German term or phrase: Eigentumswohnung
owner-occupied flat
- does it have to be freehold or leasehold, or can it be either?
mclean
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:55
1. (now) commonhold flat (BE) 2. (prev.) flying freehold
Explanation:
We've had this one before.

See the UK Commonhold & Leasheold Reform Act 2002.

The leasholders gang up to form a co. to buy out the freehold. The freeholders have to sell in certain circs.

It's strictly a freehold that is legally 'a term for 999 years' - but not abs. title as vested in the Brit. Crown. That is all land belongs ultimately to Her Majesty.

However, as I know from the 'enfranchisement' i.e. conversion of my own leasehold flat in London into freehold, the leasehold covenants i.e. restrictions on subletting etc. are adopted and carried over.

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Note added at 2004-03-09 22:12:42 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In short, it\'s a freehold flat.
Selected response from:

KirstyMacC (X)
Local time: 19:55
Grading comment
Thanks for the detailed explanation!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7condominium
Kim Metzger
5condominium, freehold flat
David Hollywood
5owned (not rented)
Merry Foxworth
41. (now) commonhold flat (BE) 2. (prev.) flying freehold
KirstyMacC (X)
4Can be freehold or leasehold
Armorel Young
2to own an apartment
Jonathan MacKerron


  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
condominium


Explanation:
Or privately owned flat (BE)


    Gro�w�rterbuch Wirtschaftsenglish - Hamblock/Wessels
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 12:55
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 305

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: definitely condominium in the US
7 mins
agree  jccantrell: Could also be a co-op, but that depends on how the legal agreement was structured. (NYC has coops, not condos)
20 mins
agree  Ingrid Blank
29 mins
agree  Sarah Downing: Yup condominium is definitely strictly US
33 mins
agree  Marek Urban: private, freehold as opposite to leasehold
49 mins
neutral  Nigel Hagger-Vaughan: not "condominium" in the UK!
9 hrs
agree  Dr.G.MD (X)
18 hrs
agree  writeaway: privately owned flat would have been fine. too bad it was ignored
1470 days
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
to own an apartment


Explanation:
based on Duden "die: Wohnung [in einem größeren Haus], die das Eigentum einer Privatperson ist."
I don't think the German differentiates between freehold/leasehold, the important bit is that you are not a renter, but rather a proprietor.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2004-03-09 22:10:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\"owner-occupied\" can cause confusion, as many Germany own apartments but rent them out to others....

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 67
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
1. (now) commonhold flat (BE) 2. (prev.) flying freehold


Explanation:
We've had this one before.

See the UK Commonhold & Leasheold Reform Act 2002.

The leasholders gang up to form a co. to buy out the freehold. The freeholders have to sell in certain circs.

It's strictly a freehold that is legally 'a term for 999 years' - but not abs. title as vested in the Brit. Crown. That is all land belongs ultimately to Her Majesty.

However, as I know from the 'enfranchisement' i.e. conversion of my own leasehold flat in London into freehold, the leasehold covenants i.e. restrictions on subletting etc. are adopted and carried over.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-03-09 22:12:42 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In short, it\'s a freehold flat.

KirstyMacC (X)
Local time: 19:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
Grading comment
Thanks for the detailed explanation!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: I personally never came across a leasehold flat in Germany
13 mins
  -> es cierto, muchas gracias: se me pasó. Corregí el error en "ninty", pero eso no. Un cordial saludo :))
disagree  USER00230 (X): an "owned" flat in UK can be either freehold or leasehold, therefore I would not translate EW with "freehold" flat, or "commonhold" either
450 days
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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
condominium, freehold flat


Explanation:
personally-owned flat

David Hollywood
Local time: 15:55
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 59
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Can be freehold or leasehold


Explanation:
As others have pointed out, condominion is an entirely US expression, and isn't used in the UK, where we speak of owner-occupied flats (if the owner lives in it) or privately owned flats (if he/she doesn't). And yes, my experience is that you can perfectly well speak of owning a leasehold flat. In London, in particular, most flats are leasehold and you are simply buying the remainder of the lease (which is often then extended so it doesn't actually expire) - you are no less an owner-occupier because the property is not freehold.

Armorel Young
Local time: 19:55
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
owned (not rented)


Explanation:
I would be careful about using the word "condominium" unless I were very sure it equated to our use of that term. A condominium is a very specific form of ownership, as distinct from, for example, a cooperative. It has nothing to do with the physical shape of the unit, as in townhouse or apartment. I have no idea whether condominiums exist in German-speaking countries, or what they would be called if they did.

Merry Foxworth
United States
Local time: 14:55
Native speaker of: English
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