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

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Henbury, you will need to chose a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Santander, Birmingham Midshires or Bradford & Bingley make sure you find a lawyer on their panel. Find a Henbury conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Questions and Answers: Henbury leasehold conveyancing

Planning to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Henbury. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Henbury should include some of the following:

  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • Defining your rights in respect of the communal areas in the block.For example, does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
  • Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
  • You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Henbury please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Henbury

    • I have just started marketing my 2 bed apartment in Henbury.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

    The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice 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.

    I own a leasehold house in Henbury. Conveyancing and Skipton Building Society mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Henbury who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

    The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Henbury conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    I've recently bought a leasehold house in Henbury. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

    Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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 are your top tips when it comes to finding a Henbury conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    When appointing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Henbury conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non Henbury conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

    • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Henbury who can give a testimonial?

    • Leasehold Conveyancing in Henbury - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

      Is there a share of the freehold? Please note if it is no more than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the property. It is worth checking with your bank that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the property for two years in order to be entitled to exercise a lease extension. Best to be warned if changing the roof or some other significant cost is coming up to be shared between the leaseholders and could well materially impact the level of the maintenance costs or result in a one off payment.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Henbury