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

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Greystones - 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.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years left on my lease in Greystones. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

If 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 Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to locate the lessor. For most situations a specialist would be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Greystones.

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Greystones. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Greystones are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Greystones so you should seriously consider looking for a Greystones conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Greystones conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Greystones conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non Greystones conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Greystones in the last twenty four months?

Completion in due on the sale of our £425000 flat in Greystones next week. The freeholder has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Greystones?

Greystones conveyancing on leasehold flats typically necessitates administration charges invoiced by landlords agents :

• Addressing conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Greystones
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Greystones leasehold property is £350. For Greystones 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 required to supply the information.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Greystones - Sample of Queries before buying

Is there a share of the freehold? You should be aware that where the lease has fewer than 80 years it will impact the salability of the flat. Check with your mortgage company that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth discovering what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would be required to have owned the residence for two years in order to be eligible to exercise a lease extension. Are there any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the maintenance costs?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Greystones