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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Caddington, you will need to chose a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Santander, Yorkshire Building Society or NatWest make sure you find a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Caddington conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Caddington leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I only have Sixty One years left on my lease in Caddington. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, 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 mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. For most situations a specialist would be helpful to try and locate and to produce an expert document which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Caddington.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Caddington. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Caddington conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

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

  • How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Caddington who can give a testimonial?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Caddington with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Caddington can be avoided where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
    • Many landlords or Management Companies in Caddington charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Caddington.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Caddington leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Should you fail to have the consents to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer first.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is a current dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Caddington conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • We expect to complete the disposal of our £350000 maisonette in Caddington in just under a week. The management company has quoted £336 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Caddington?

    Caddington conveyancing on leasehold flats often requires the buyer’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer such questions the majority will be content to assist. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

    Leasehold Conveyancing in Caddington - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

      Please note if it is less than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the flat. Check with your mortgage company that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with less than 80 years remaining 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 would cost. For most Caddingtonlease extensions you will need to own the premises for two years before you are entitled to exercise a lease extension. Does this lease have more than 90 years remaining? Most Caddington leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the building invoiced by the landlord. If you acquire the property you will have to pay this amount, usually quarterly throughout the year. This can differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a significant sum, say around £25-£75 but you should to enquire as on occasion it could be prohibitively expensive.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Caddington