I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Haslington. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Haslington are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Haslington so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Haslington conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Haslington. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Haslington who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Haslington conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Haslington conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Haslington conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you speak with two or three firms including non Haslington conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Can they put you in touch with client in Haslington who can give a testimonial?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Haslington with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Haslington can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
• Many landlords or Management Companies in Haslington levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Haslington.

If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Haslington leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. Should you dont have the approvals to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer first.

If you have had any disputes with your freeholder 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 nervous about purchasing a flat 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 buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.

If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Obtaining a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a Haslington home move. Where a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £125000 flat in Haslington next Thursday . The freeholder has quoted £336 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Haslington?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Haslington conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Addressing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Haslington
• 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 Haslington leasehold premises is £350. For Haslington 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 obliged to provide answers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Haslington - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Plenty Haslington leasehold apartments will incur a service charge for maintenance of the block invoiced on behalf of the landlord. Where you purchase the flat you will have to meet this contribution, usually in instalments accross the year. This may vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. In all likelihood there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large amount, say about £50-£100 but you should to check it because sometimes it can be surprisingly expensive. Generally speaking the outlay for major works tend not to be included within service charges, although some managing agents in Haslington obliged tenants to pay into a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance. How many years remain on the lease?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Haslington