Planning to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Ashton Under Lyne. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Ashton Under Lyne should include some of the following:

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the flat, or working from home

An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?

Responsibility for repairing the window frames

What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Ashton Under Lyne please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Ashton Under Lyne

I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Ashton Under Lyne.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the invoice 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 seems to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Ashton Under Lyne. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Ashton Under Lyne are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Ashton Under Lyne in which case you should be shopping around for a Ashton Under Lyne conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Ashton Under Lyne. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

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. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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 our sale of a £375000 apartment in Ashton Under Lyne in nine days. The management company has quoted £372 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Ashton Under Lyne?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Ashton Under Lyne 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 pre-contract enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Ashton Under Lyne
• Supplying insurance information
• 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 Ashton Under Lyne leasehold property is £350. For Ashton Under Lyne 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 required to supply answers.

Ashton Under Lyne Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

What prohibitions are contained in the Ashton Under Lyne Lease? What is the length of the lease? On the whole the outlay for major works are not built into the service charges, although there some managing agents in Ashton Under Lyne ask leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for larger repairs or maintenance.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Ashton Under Lyne