Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 62 years remaining on my flat in Ince in Makerfield. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, 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 mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. On the whole a specialist should be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Ince in Makerfield.

I’m about to sell my garden flat in Ince in Makerfield.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a quarterly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

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 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Ince in Makerfield. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Ince in Makerfield ?

The majority of houses in Ince in Makerfield are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Ince in Makerfield so you should seriously consider looking for a Ince in Makerfield conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Ince in Makerfield. Conveyancing and Santander mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Ince in Makerfield 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 the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Ince in Makerfield conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Ince in Makerfield with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Ince in Makerfield can be avoided if you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Ince in Makerfield leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Should you dont have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.
• A minority of Ince in Makerfield leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
• If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. 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 purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.
• If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming formality and slows down many a Ince in Makerfield home move. Where a duplicate share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

I invested in buying a split level flat in Ince in Makerfield, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Ince in Makerfield with over 90 years remaining are worth £196,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2082

With 56 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.