My husband and I may need to sub-let our Bridport ground floor flat temporarily due to a new job. We used a Bridport conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Bridport conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you must obtain permission from your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet in the absence of prior consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I only have Fifty years unexpired on my flat in Bridport. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. 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 enable the lease to be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to track down the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Bridport.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Bridport.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should 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 management companies 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 am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Bridport. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Bridport are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Bridport so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Bridport conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being 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 freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Bridport both have approximately fifty years left on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease deteriorate and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

I bought a 1st floor flat in Bridport, conveyancing formalities finalised 2007. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding properties in Bridport with an extended lease are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease ceases on 21st October 2102

With 77 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.

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Lease Extensions in Bridport