Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Hurworth:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Hurworth, you will need to chose a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Santander, Yorkshire Building Society or Bradford & Bingley make sure you choose a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Recently asked questions relating to Hurworth leasehold conveyancing

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor apartment in Hurworth.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is 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 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.

Back In 2005, I bought a leasehold house in Hurworth. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Hurworth who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Hurworth conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Hurworth. 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 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. 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).

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Hurworth conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Hurworth conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Hurworth conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

  • How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Hurworth with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hurworth can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Hurworth charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Hurworth.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Hurworth leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you fail to have the consents in place do not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor in the first instance.
  • If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property 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 will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate is often a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Hurworth home move. Where a new share certificate is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • Leasehold Conveyancing in Hurworth - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

      Is the freehold owned jointly by the tenants? Be sure to enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance it is very common in Hurworth leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Hurworth. If you like the flatin Hurworth but your dog is not allowed to live with you then you will be presented with a hard decision. It would be wise to discover as much as possible regarding the company managing the building as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Don't be afraid to ask other tenants what they think of their management. On a final note, be sure you know the dates that the service fees are due to the managing agents and precisely how they are spending that money.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Hurworth