I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Frampton on Severn. Before I get started I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Frampton on Severn - 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 am intending to sublet my leasehold apartment in Frampton on Severn. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Your lease governs relations between the freeholder and you the flat owner; specifically, it will set out if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Frampton on Severn do not contain strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would adversely affect the market value the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Frampton on Severn from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Frampton on Severn can be avoided where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ lawyers.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Frampton on Severn state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. If you dont have the consents to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your conveyancer before hand.

If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You will have to accept that you will have to 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 ahead of 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 ongoing.

If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy process and delays many a Frampton on Severn conveyancing transaction. If a reissued share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this via your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is less than 80 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

Completion in due on the sale of our £500000 flat in Frampton on Severn in 8 days. The managing agents has quoted £300 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Frampton on Severn?

For most leasehold sales in Frampton on Severn conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Addressing pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Frampton on Severn
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Frampton on Severn leasehold property is £350. For Frampton on Severn conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to supply answers.

What are the common problems that you come across in leases for Frampton on Severn properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Frampton on Severn. All leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the property
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You could have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Accord Mortgages Ltd, Leeds Building Society, and Alliance & Leicester all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to pull out.

I purchased a leasehold flat in Frampton on Severn, conveyancing was carried out 8 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Frampton on Severn with over 90 years remaining are worth £203,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2100

With 79 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £10,500 and £12,000 as well as costs.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Frampton on Severn