Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Falmouth. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Falmouth - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

I’m about to sell my ground floor flat in Falmouth.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

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 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I own a leasehold flat in Falmouth. Conveyancing and Yorkshire Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Falmouth who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Falmouth conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured 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.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Falmouth conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Falmouth conveyancing practice) 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 two or three firms including non Falmouth 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 they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Falmouth who can give a testimonial?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £ 425000 maisonette in Falmouth next Friday . The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Falmouth?

Falmouth conveyancing on leasehold apartments often necessitates the purchaser’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to such questions most will be content to do so. They are entitled charge a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

Falmouth Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

You should want to find out as much as possible about the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters such as the tidiness of the common parts. Don't be afraid to ask other people what they think of them. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the service charges are due to the appropriate party and precisely how they are spending that money.