I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Arlesey. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Arlesey ?

The majority of houses in Arlesey are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Arlesey in which case you should be shopping around for a Arlesey conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Arlesey. Conveyancing and Accord Mortgages Ltd mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Arlesey who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Arlesey conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Arlesey conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Arlesey conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Arlesey conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

• What volume of lease extensions has the firm carried out in Arlesey in the last year?

Can they put you in touch with client in Arlesey who can give a testimonial?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Arlesey with the purpose of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Arlesey can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers representatives.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Arlesey leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such changes. If you fail to have the paperwork in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.

Some Arlesey leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.

If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unsettled.

If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy process and slows down many a Arlesey conveyancing transaction. Where a new share is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £375000 maisonette in Arlesey next Thursday . The freeholder has quoted £336 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Arlesey?

Arlesey conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally involves fees being levied by landlords agents :

• Answering pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Arlesey
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Arlesey leasehold property is £350. For Arlesey 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.

I inherited a basement flat in Arlesey, conveyancing having been completed in 2002. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Arlesey with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2093

With 69 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £12,400 and £14,200 plus professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Arlesey