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

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Whether you are buying or selling leasehold flat in Erdington, our panel of leasehold conveyancing experts will help you move with as little stress as possible. Find a Erdington conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Sample questions relating to Erdington leasehold conveyancing

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

The sensible thing to do is 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 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 today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Erdington. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Erdington ?

The majority of houses in Erdington are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Erdington in which case you should be looking for a Erdington conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should advise you fully on all the issues.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Erdington. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, 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 be sure 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 are your top tips when it comes to finding a Erdington conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Erdington conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Erdington conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

  • How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Erdington with the purpose of expediting the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Erdington can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Erdington levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Erdington.
  • Some Erdington leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual 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 any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is ongoing. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. 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 purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a Erdington conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • I inherited a 2 bed flat in Erdington, conveyancing having been completed 5 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Erdington with over 90 years remaining are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £60 charged once a year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2081

    You have 56 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as costs.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Erdington