There are only 62 years unexpired on my lease in Great Linford. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, 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 mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have done all that could be expected to find the freeholder. On the whole a specialist may be helpful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Great Linford.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a basement flat in Great Linford. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they report fully next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• The total extent of the premises. This will be the property itself but could also include a roof space or basement if applicable.
• Setting out your legal entitlements in relation to common areas in the building.For example, does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

I am employed by a busy estate agent office in Great Linford where we see a number of flat sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Great Linford conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can commence 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 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 sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with 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 purchaser.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Great Linford conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Great Linford conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non Great Linford conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?
• How many lease extensions have they carried out in Great Linford in the last 12 months?

Completion in due on our sale of a £ 250000 apartment in Great Linford in seven days. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Great Linford?

Great Linford conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not necessitates the buyer’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They may levy a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is above £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Great Linford - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

What is the the remaining lease term? This question is important as a) areas could cause problems for the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to have complete disclosure