I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Huntingdon. Before diving in I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and most are in Huntingdon - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Expecting to exchange soon on a garden flat in Huntingdon. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they are sending me a report next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• You should receive a copy of the lease

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Huntingdon. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Huntingdon are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Huntingdon so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Huntingdon conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should advise you fully on all the issues.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Huntingdon. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in Huntingdon who previously acted has long since retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Huntingdon conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agent office in Huntingdon where we see a number of leasehold sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Huntingdon conveyancing solicitors. Please can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease 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. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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.

Huntingdon Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider before buying

The answer will be useful as a) areas could cause problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to have all the details What is the name of the managing agents? Its a good idea to discover as much as possible concerning the company managing the block as they will either make your living at the property much simpler or problematic. As the owner of a leasehold property you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day issues like the tidiness of the communal areas. You should not be afraid to ask other tenants what they think of their management. In conclusion, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Huntingdon