I have recently realised that I have 68 years remaining on my lease in Fallowfield. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have used your best endeavours to locate the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent may be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Fallowfield.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a basement flat in Fallowfield. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• You should receive a copy of the lease

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed flat in Fallowfield.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you discharge 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 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Fallowfield. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Fallowfield ?

Most houses in Fallowfield are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Fallowfield in which case you should be shopping around for a Fallowfield conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to 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 will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

I am employed by a long established estate agency in Fallowfield where we have witnessed a number of flat sales put at risk due to short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Fallowfield conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner 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 buyer need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with 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.

I own a split level flat in Fallowfield, conveyancing formalities finalised 9 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Fallowfield with a long lease are worth £175,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2078

With 57 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £24,700 and £28,600 as well as legals.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Fallowfield