Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Fairford. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Fairford - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

There are only Seventy years unexpired on my lease in Fairford. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. On the whole a specialist may be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Fairford.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden flat in Fairford.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should 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 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 reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Fairford. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Fairford ?

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. It is clear that you are purchasing in Fairford in which case you should be looking for a Fairford conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in advising 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 to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

What makes a Fairford lease unmortgageable?

Leasehold conveyancing in Fairford is not unique. All leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Halifax, Skipton Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

Fairford Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the lessees benefit from being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is often retained where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Be sure to find out if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in Fairford leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Fairford. If you love the apartmentin Fairford yet your dog can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise. Plenty Fairford leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for the upkeep of the building invoiced by the freeholder. Where you acquire the flat you will have to pay this charge, normally quarterly during the year. This may differ from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal areas. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a large sum, say about £50-£100 but you need to check as occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Fairford