Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Bootle:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Bootle, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Lloyds, Yorkshire Building Society or Bradford & Bingley make sure you find a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Sample questions relating to Bootle leasehold conveyancing

I would like to sublet my leasehold apartment in Bootle. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Even though your previous Bootle conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you must obtain permission from your landlord or some other party before subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet without prior consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 68 years remaining on my lease in Bootle. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to locate the landlord. In some cases a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Bootle.

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Bootle. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Bootle are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Bootle so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Bootle conveyancing solicitor 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 with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Bootle conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Bootle conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Bootle conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

  • How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Bootle with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Bootle can be reduced where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Bootle charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Bootle.
  • Some Bootle leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet 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 buyers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled 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 have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy formality and slows down many a Bootle home move. If a duplicate share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • Bootle Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

      Please note that where the lease has fewer than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the property. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are content with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Bootlelease extensions you will be required to have owned the premises for a couple of years before you are eligible to extend the lease. Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the block? How is the lease structured?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Bootle