I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Clophill. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Clophill - 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.

Helen (my wife) and I may need to sub-let our Clophill ground floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a Clophill conveyancing firm in 2003 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

A lease governs the relationship between the landlord and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will say if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is allowed. The majority of leases in Clophill do not contain strict prohibition on subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the flat. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the sublease.

There are only 68 years remaining on my lease in Clophill. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What are my options?

If 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 enable the lease to be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. On the whole a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Clophill.

I’m about to sell my garden flat in Clophill.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you discharge the service charge 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 managing agents 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.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Clophill conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Clophill conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Clophill conveyancing practices before you 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?

Clophill Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? Best to be warned whether changing the roof or some other significant cost is due in the near future that will be shared between the tenants and could well materially impact the level of the service fees or necessitate a one time payment. You should want to find out as much as you can about the company managing the block as they can either make your living at the property much easier or uncomfortable. As the owner of a leasehold property 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 communal areas. Ask other tenants what they think of them. In conclusion, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the appropriate party and specifically what you get for your money.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Clophill