I have recently realised that I have Seventy years remaining on my lease in Hessle. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What should I do?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. On the whole a specialist may be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Hessle.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Hessle. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they report fully on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder

I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Hessle.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Hessle. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Hessle ?

Most houses in Hessle are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Hessle in which case you should be shopping around for a Hessle conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Hessle. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

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. However, 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 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).

Hessle Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

In the main the outlay for major works are not included within service charges, although some managing agents in Hessle obliged leaseholders to pay into a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance. What is the annual service fee and ground rent? Many Hessle leasehold properties will incur a service bill for maintenance of the building invoiced on behalf of the landlord. Where you buy the apartment you will have to pay this charge, usually in instalments during the year. This can differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a large amount, say about £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because sometimes it could be many hundreds of pounds.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Hessle