Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Hartfield

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Hartfield, you will need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Lloyds, RBS or Bradford & Bingley be sure to choose a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Hartfield

I would like to let out my leasehold flat in Hartfield. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Even though your previous Hartfield conveyancing lawyer is not around you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the premises. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you must seek permission from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. The net result is that you cannot sublet without first obtaining permission. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I own a leasehold flat in Hartfield. Conveyancing and Clydesdale mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Hartfield who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Hartfield conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Hartfield. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Hartfield conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Hartfield conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Hartfield conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

  • What volume of lease extensions has the firm completed in Hartfield in the last twenty four months?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

  • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Hartfield with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Hartfield can be avoided where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers conveyancers.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in Hartfield levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Hartfield.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Hartfield state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in the first instance.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge 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 will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Hartfield conveyancing transaction. Where a new share certificate is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.

  • I bought a 1st floor flat in Hartfield, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2011. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Hartfield with over 90 years remaining are worth £255,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2087

    With only 62 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £20,900 and £24,200 as well as costs.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Hartfield