Leasehold Conveyancing in Halifax - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Halifax, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Lloyds, RBS or Nationwide be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Halifax conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Halifax leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Halifax. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Halifax - 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've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Halifax. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Halifax are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Halifax in which case you should be shopping around for a Halifax conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Halifax with the aim of expediting the sale process?

  • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Halifax can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
  • Many freeholders or managing agents in Halifax charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Halifax.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Halifax leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you fail to have the approvals to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor first.
  • Some Halifax leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than ongoing.

    • Completion in due on the disposal of our £325000 maisonette in Halifax in just under a week. The management company has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Halifax?

    Halifax conveyancing on leasehold flats more often than not involves the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They may invoice a reasonable charge for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

    In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Halifax what are the most frequent lease problems?

    There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Halifax. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
    • Insurance obligations
    • Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
    • Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

    A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Halifax, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

    Halifax Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying

      The best form of lease structure is if the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this scenario the tenants benefit from being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is often employed where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. The answer will be important as a) areas could cause problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the tenants have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to have full disclosure Is anyone aware of any major works in the near future that could add a premium to the service fees?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Halifax