Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Eccles

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Leasehold conveyancing in Eccles is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Eccles and next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Eccles leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I own a leasehold house in Eccles. Conveyancing and Barnsley Building Society mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Eccles who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Eccles conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Eccles. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Eccles conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Eccles conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Eccles conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

  • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Eccles who can give a testimonial?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Eccles from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Eccles can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Eccles leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you dont have the approvals to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand.
  • Some Eccles leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying 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 solicitors.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. 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 ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over as opposed to unresolved.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming process and delays many a Eccles conveyancing deal. Where a new share is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £125000 apartment in Eccles in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £384 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Eccles?

    Eccles conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally requires the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries most will be willing to assist. They are at liberty invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is above £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

    I purchased a 2 bed flat in Eccles, conveyancing was carried out in 2001. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Eccles with a long lease are worth £223,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease runs out on 21st October 2088

    You have 63 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as professional fees.

    The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

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    Lease Extensions in Eccles