I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Bridlington. Before I get started I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Bridlington - 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.

There are only 62 years unexpired on my flat in Bridlington. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What are my options?

If 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 enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent should be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare a report which can be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Bridlington.

I am hoping to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Bridlington. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The total extent of the premises. This will be the apartment itself but could also include a loft or basement if applicable.
• Setting out your legal entitlements in respect of common areas in the block.E.G., does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
• 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
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• 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
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

I am looking at a couple of flats in Bridlington both have about fifty years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Bridlington is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the marketability of the premises. For most purchasers and lenders, leases with less than eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Bridlington conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

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

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Bridlington conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with several firms including non Bridlington conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

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

Bridlington Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Can you inform me if there are any major works in the planning that will likely add a premium to the service charges? How long is the Lease? It is important to be aware if changing the roof or some other major work is coming up that will be shared by the leasehold owners and may well dramatically impact the level of the service costs or require a specific payment.