Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Charmouth

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Charmouth, you will need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, Yorkshire Building Society or Bradford & Bingley make sure you find a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Charmouth leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Charmouth. Before diving in I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Charmouth - 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.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years unexpired on my flat in Charmouth. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

If you qualify, 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 lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to locate the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent would be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Charmouth.

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Charmouth. 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 lessee 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 be sure 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).

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Charmouth with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

  • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Charmouth can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
  • The majority freeholders or managing agents in Charmouth charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Charmouth.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Charmouth state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you dont have the approvals to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor in advance.
  • Some Charmouth leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a re-issued share certificate is often a time consuming process and frustrates many a Charmouth conveyancing transaction. If a duplicate share is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £200000 garden flat in Charmouth on Thursday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Charmouth?

    Charmouth conveyancing on leasehold flats usually necessitates the buyer’s lawyer sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries most will be content to assist. They may invoice a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

    I bought a basement flat in Charmouth, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Charmouth with over 90 years remaining are worth £252,000. The ground rent is £50 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2075

    With just 54 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 plus legals.

    The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Charmouth