Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Birkenhead. Before I get started I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Birkenhead - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I only have Fifty years left on my flat in Birkenhead. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. On the whole an enquiry agent should be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Birkenhead.

Looking forward to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Birkenhead. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they report fully tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the property, or working from home

You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change

Repair and maintenance of the flat

The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Birkenhead please ask your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Birkenhead

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Birkenhead. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Birkenhead are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Birkenhead in which case you should be looking for a Birkenhead conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free 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. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

We expect to complete our sale of a £250000 maisonette in Birkenhead on Friday in a week. The freeholder has quoted £348 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Birkenhead?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Birkenhead 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 questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Birkenhead
• 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 Birkenhead leasehold property is £350. For Birkenhead 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 supply the information.

Birkenhead Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? It is important to be aware if a new roof is being installed or some other significant cost is due shortly that will be shared amongst the leaseholders and could well dramatically impact the level of the maintenance costs or require a one off invoice. How many years remain on the lease?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Birkenhead