I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Cross Keys. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Cross Keys ?

Most houses in Cross Keys are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Cross Keys so you should seriously consider looking for a Cross Keys conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

Back In 2005, I bought a leasehold house in Cross Keys. Conveyancing and Alliance & Leicester mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Cross Keys who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Cross Keys conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Cross Keys conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Cross Keys conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non Cross Keys conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Cross Keys who can give a testimonial?

Completion in due on the sale of our £350000 garden flat in Cross Keys in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Cross Keys?

Cross Keys conveyancing on leasehold flats normally requires the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They may invoice a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to sell the property.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys what are the most common lease problems?

Leasehold conveyancing in Cross Keys is not unique. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

You may encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Halifax, Bank of Scotland, and Barclays Direct all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to pull out.

I acquired a 1st floor flat in Cross Keys, conveyancing was carried out in 2001. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding flats in Cross Keys with an extended lease are worth £247,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2082

With only 61 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £20,000 and £23,000 plus legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Cross Keys