Secret Basement Found!!!

[funkt]

Hello,

I live in a ground and first floor maisonette in a Victorian conversion in North London.

After buying the property in December and beginning renovations I found stairs underneath the floorboards in our ground floor bathroom leading to a basement space which appears to have been the original coal bunker.

I would obviously like to utilise this space - firstly for storage but with an idea to perhaps to convert to a usable room in the future (once I have sufficient funds).

I foresee a number of problems:

- The basement space is not on the deeds or plans so what legal action should I take and would I need this included in the deeds if I am just reinstating existing stairs to create storage space?

- The basement space stretches beyond the current boundary listed in the deeds (see image) and underneath a communal area shared by the rest of the freeholders.

I would like to know what legal issues I may have with ownership before I declare this found space and begin any work.

Please see plan below which shows basement area in green and current boundary in red. We share freehold.

(Google "diynot.com/network/funkt/albums/5922/23870")

Huge thanks!
Lee[/img]