Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years remaining on my flat in Almondsbury. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have done all that could be expected to locate the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent would be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Almondsbury.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden flat in Almondsbury.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Almondsbury. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Almondsbury ?

Most houses in Almondsbury are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Almondsbury so you should seriously consider looking for a Almondsbury conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Almondsbury. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £375000 apartment in Almondsbury in 5 days. The freeholder has quoted £408 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Almondsbury?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Almondsbury conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Addressing conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Almondsbury
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Almondsbury leasehold premises is £350. For Almondsbury conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Almondsbury - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Make sure you discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is very common in Almondsbury leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Almondsbury. If you love the propertyin Almondsbury however your cat can’t make the move with you then you will be faced hard decision. For many Almondsbury leaseholds the cost for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although a few managing agents in Almondsbury ask leaseholders to pay into a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for larger repairs or maintenance. How much is the ground rent and service charge?

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Lease Extensions in Almondsbury