Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Godmanchester. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Godmanchester - 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.

There are only Seventy years remaining on my flat in Godmanchester. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application 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 magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to track down the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Godmanchester.

Expecting to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Godmanchester. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Godmanchester should include some of the following:

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Godmanchester. Conveyancing and Yorkshire Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Godmanchester who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Godmanchester conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agent office in Godmanchester where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Godmanchester conveyancing solicitors. Can you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can initiate the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 buyer.

Godmanchester Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

You will want to discover as much as possible regarding the company managing the block as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day issues such as the tidiness of the common parts. Enquire of other tenants whether they are happy with them. In conclusion, be sure you know the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and specifically how they are spending that money. Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that could add a premium to the maintenance costs? The answer will be helpful as a) areas can result in problems in the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to know about it

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Godmanchester