I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Crowborough. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Crowborough - 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 would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Crowborough. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

A small minority of properties in Crowborough do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting consent.

There are only Fifty years unexpired on my flat in Crowborough. I now wish to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent should be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Crowborough.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. 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 Crowborough. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Crowborough are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Crowborough so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Crowborough conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Crowborough with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Crowborough can be reduced if you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
• The majority freeholders or managing agents in Crowborough levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Crowborough.
• Some Crowborough leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
• If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to 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 as opposed to unresolved.
• If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Crowborough conveyancing transaction. Where a new share is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

Crowborough Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

The majority of Crowborough leasehold apartments will have a service bill for the upkeep of the block set on behalf of the freeholder. Should you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this liability, usually periodically throughout the year. This can vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say about £50-£100 but you need to check as on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds. Is there a share of the freehold? It is important to be aware if a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is anticipated that will be shared between the leasehold owners and will dramatically impact the level of the maintenance fees or require a one time invoice.