Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Handforth:

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While any conveyancing practice can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Handforth, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Handforth

I have recently realised that I have 68 years unexpired on my lease in Handforth. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

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 mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. In some cases an enquiry agent would be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document to be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Handforth.

Planning to exchange soon on a basement flat in Handforth. 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 Handforth should include some of the following:

  • The total extent of the premises. This will be the flat itself but may include a roof space or basement if appropriate.
  • Setting out your rights in respect of common areas in the building.For example, does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
  • Whether the lease restricts you from letting out the flat, or working from home
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Handforth please ask your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Handforth

    • Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in Handforth.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

    The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

    Back In 2009, I bought a leasehold flat in Handforth. Conveyancing and Leeds Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Handforth who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

    First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Handforth conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    I am employed by a reputable estate agent office in Handforth where we see a number of leasehold sales jeopardised as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received contradictory information from local Handforth conveyancing firms. Please can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

    Provided that 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 need not have 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 simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

    An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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.

    Handforth Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

      Does the lease contain onerous restrictions? Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? Are there any major works on the horizon that could increase the maintenance fees?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Handforth