Due to complete next month on a studio apartment in Castleton. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
• Does the lease prevent you from renting out the flat, or having a home office for business
• 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
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
• Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Castleton.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the invoice 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 until 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 own a leasehold house in Castleton. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing practitioner in Castleton who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Castleton conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Castleton conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Castleton conveyancing firm) 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 Castleton conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Castleton who can give a testimonial?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £ 325000 apartment in Castleton in six days. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Castleton?

Castleton conveyancing on leasehold flats normally requires the purchaser’s lawyer sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries most will be content to do so. They are entitled charge a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

I own a ground floor flat in Castleton, conveyancing having been completed 1999. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Castleton with over 90 years remaining are worth £165,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2088

With just 62 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £15,200 and £17,600 as well as costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.