Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years remaining on my flat in Bonvilston. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, 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 lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent may be helpful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Bonvilston.

Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Bonvilston. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?

Does the lease prevent you from renting out the property, or having a home office for business

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

I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required

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.

Responsibility for repairing the window frames

What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Bonvilston please ask your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Bonvilston

I’m about to sell my garden flat in Bonvilston.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a half-yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Bonvilston. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Bonvilston ?

Most houses in Bonvilston are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Bonvilston so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Bonvilston conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £425000 garden flat in Bonvilston on Tuesday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Bonvilston?

Bonvilston conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally results in administration charges levied by landlords agents :

• Completing conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Bonvilston
• 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 solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Bonvilston leasehold property is £350. For Bonvilston 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.

I inherited a 1st floor flat in Bonvilston, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2005. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Bonvilston with over 90 years remaining are worth £235,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2104

You have 79 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus legals.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Bonvilston