Leasehold Conveyancing in East Dean - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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

Common questions relating to East Dean leasehold conveyancing

Expecting to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in East Dean. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in East Dean should include some of the following:

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark
  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in East Dean please enquire of your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in East Dean

    • I’m about to sell my garden apartment in East Dean.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

    It best that you pay the invoice 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 unless 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 am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in East Dean where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales derailed due to short leases. I have received contradictory information from local East Dean conveyancing solicitors. Could you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the buyer?

    Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

    Alternatively, it may be possible 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 offer any advice when it comes to appointing a East Dean conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

    When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a East Dean conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non East Dean conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

    • How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

    • Completion in due on our sale of a £300000 maisonette in East Dean on Thursday in a week. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in East Dean?

    East Dean conveyancing on leasehold flats more often than not necessitates the purchaser’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address such questions the majority will be willing to assist. They are entitled invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has no option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

    East Dean Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

      Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? The prefered form of lease structure is if the freehold title is owned by the leaseholders. In this scenario the tenants have control and although a managing agent is usually employed if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Who is in charge of the building?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in East Dean