I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Camelford. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Camelford - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

I own a leasehold flat in Camelford. Conveyancing and Britannia mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing practitioner in Camelford who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Camelford conveyancing firm 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.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Camelford conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Camelford conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Camelford conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Can they put you in touch with client in Camelford who can give a testimonial?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Camelford from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Camelford can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
• The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Camelford charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Camelford.

If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of 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 present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.

If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate is often a lengthy process and frustrates many a Camelford home move. Where a duplicate share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

We expect to complete our sale of a £300000 flat in Camelford in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £360 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Camelford?

Camelford conveyancing on leasehold flats usually results in administration charges levied by managing agents :

• Addressing conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Camelford
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Camelford leasehold premises is £350. For Camelford conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply answers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Camelford - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Please note that where the lease has fewer than eighty years it will affect the marketability of the flat. It is worth checking with your lender that they are happy with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Camelfordlease extensions you would be required to have been the owner of the premises for 24 months before you are eligible to exercise a lease extension. Can you tell me if there are any major works in the near future that will add a premium to the maintenance charges? The best form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the tenants have control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is frequently employed where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Camelford