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

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Cross Keys - 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.

I want to sublet my leasehold apartment in Cross Keys. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Even though your last Cross Keys conveyancing lawyer is not around you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the premises. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to seek consent from your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease prohibits you from subletting the property you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed apartment in Cross Keys.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear 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 management companies 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.

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Cross Keys. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Cross Keys are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Cross Keys in which case you should be shopping around for a Cross Keys conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Cross Keys. Conveyancing and Barclays Direct mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing solicitor in Cross Keys who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Cross Keys conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Cross Keys - Sample of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Best to be warned whether fixing the lift or some other major work is pending that will be shared amongst the leasehold owners and will materially impact the level of the maintenance charges or require a specific invoice. What is the service charge and ground rent on the property? Please note that where the lease has fewer than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the flat. Check with your bank that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth discovering how much this will be. For most Cross Keyslease extensions you will need to own the residence for 24 months before you are eligible to exercise a lease extension.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Cross Keys