I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Fairford.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a yearly service charge invoice – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is clear 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until 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've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Fairford. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Fairford are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Fairford so you should seriously consider looking for a Fairford conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

Back In 2009, I bought a leasehold house in Fairford. Conveyancing and Coventry Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Fairford who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Fairford conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Fairford. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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 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 advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Fairford conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Fairford conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with several firms including non Fairford conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?
• What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Fairford in the last year?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Fairford - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

This question is helpful as a) areas may cause problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will wish to know about it Make sure you investigate if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance it is very common in Fairford leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Fairford. If you love the flatin Fairford yet your cat can’t make the move with you then you have a very hard determination. It is important to be aware if changing the roof or some other significant cost is coming up to be shared by the leasehold owners and will dramatically increase the the service charges or require a one time invoice.