There are only 68 years remaining on my flat in Dartmouth. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent would be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Dartmouth.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Dartmouth which have approximately fifty years left on the lease term. should I be concerned?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Dartmouth is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the marketability of the property. For most buyers and mortgage companies, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Dartmouth conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Dartmouth conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Dartmouth conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Dartmouth conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £500000 flat in Dartmouth next Friday . The management company has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Dartmouth?

Dartmouth conveyancing on leasehold flats more often than not requires the purchaser’s conveyancer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to such questions the majority will be willing to assist. They are entitled invoice a reasonable charge for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

What makes a Dartmouth lease unmortgageable?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Dartmouth. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain clauses are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Yorkshire Building Society, Barnsley Building Society, and Aldermore all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Dartmouth - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

How many years remain on the lease? The prefered form of lease arrangement is if the freehold interest is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the tenants have being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is frequently employed if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Where a Dartmouth lease has no more than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the property. Check with your bank that they are happy with residual term of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Dartmouthlease extensions you would need to own the property for 24 months in order to be legally able to carry out a lease extension.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Dartmouth