There are only Fifty years left on my lease in Calcot. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that 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 for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Calcot.

Planning to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Calcot. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Calcot should include some of the following:

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Calcot. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Calcot ?

Most houses in Calcot are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Calcot so you should seriously consider looking for a Calcot conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Calcot. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Calcot who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Calcot conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Calcot. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation 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. Strange as it may seem, 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).

Calcot Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

This information is useful as a) areas could result in problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the running of the building you will need to have full disclosure How long is the Lease? Its a good idea to find out as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day issues like the upkeep of the common parts. You should not be afraid to ask other tenants what they think of them. Finally, find out the dates that the service fees are due to the appropriate party and precisely what it includes.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Calcot