Leasehold Conveyancing in Copthorne - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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Leasehold conveyancing in Copthorne is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Copthorne and throughout next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Top Five Questions relating to Copthorne leasehold conveyancing

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Copthorne. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Copthorne - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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 let out our Copthorne garden flat temporarily due to a new job. We used a Copthorne conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to get any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your previous Copthorne conveyancing lawyer is not around you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to obtain permission from your landlord or some other party before subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior consent. Such consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Copthorne. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Copthorne ?

The majority of houses in Copthorne are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Copthorne so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Copthorne conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.

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

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. However, 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).

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Copthorne from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Copthorne can be avoided if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
  • The majority landlords or managing agents in Copthorne charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information 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 frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Copthorne.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Copthorne state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the consents in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand.
  • If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride 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 particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Organising a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy process and delays many a Copthorne home move. If a new share certificate is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.

    • I invested in buying a ground floor flat in Copthorne, conveyancing was carried out 5 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Copthorne with an extended lease are worth £270,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2080

    With 54 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £37,100 and £42,800 plus legals.

    The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Copthorne