Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Corfe Castle:

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Any conveyancing practice can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Corfe Castle, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Corfe Castle leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Corfe Castle. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Corfe Castle - 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.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Corfe Castle. Conveyancing and Lloyds TSB Bank mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter 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 Corfe Castle who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Corfe Castle conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Corfe Castle where we see a few leasehold sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Corfe Castle conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Corfe Castle from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Corfe Castle can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Corfe Castle state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you dont have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor in advance.
  • Some Corfe Castle leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. 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 clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than unresolved.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate is often a lengthy formality and slows down many a Corfe Castle home move. Where a reissued share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.

    • Completion in due on the disposal of our £375000 apartment in Corfe Castle next Thursday . The managing agents has quoted £372 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Corfe Castle?

    Corfe Castle conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally requires the buyer’s lawyer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be willing to do so. They may invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork 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 sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

    I purchased a 1st floor flat in Corfe Castle, conveyancing was carried out in 2001. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Corfe Castle with a long lease are worth £205,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2088

    With only 63 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as professional fees.

    The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Corfe Castle