I have recently realised that I have Seventy years unexpired on my flat in Billingham. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. On the whole an enquiry agent may be useful to try and locate and to produce an expert document which can be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Billingham.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Billingham. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Billingham ?

Most houses in Billingham are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Billingham so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Billingham conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Billingham conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Billingham conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Billingham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Billingham who can give a testimonial?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Billingham from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Billingham can be reduced where you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority freeholders or managing agents in Billingham levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Billingham.
• A minority of Billingham leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual 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 purchasers or their solicitors.
• If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Obtaining a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy process and slows down many a Billingham home move. Where a new share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
• You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is less than 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £ 250000 flat in Billingham in just under a week. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Billingham?

Billingham conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually necessitates the buyer’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the charge is technically not due. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to sell the property.

I purchased a split level flat in Billingham, conveyancing having been completed 4 years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent flats in Billingham with over 90 years remaining are worth £249,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2077

With just 51 years left to run the likely cost is going to range between £33,300 and £38,400 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.