Great Missenden leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s
Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Great Missenden. Before diving in I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.
Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Great Missenden - 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 have recently realised that I have 68 years remaining on my lease in Great Missenden. I am keen to extend my lease 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 lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. For most situations a specialist would be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Great Missenden.
Due to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in Great Missenden. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?
Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Great Missenden should include some of the following:
- Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Great Missenden where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales derailed due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Great Missenden conveyancing firms. Can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can start 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 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 has to be done 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 buyer.
If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £500000 maisonette in Great Missenden next week. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Great Missenden?
Great Missenden conveyancing on leasehold apartments more often than not requires the purchaser’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so. They may levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it is above £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the invoice is technically not due. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.
I am the registered owner of a 2 bed flat in Great Missenden, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1996. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding flats in Great Missenden with an extended lease are worth £245,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 per annum. The lease terminates on 21st October 2086
With 65 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive 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 considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
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