Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Kelsall. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Kelsall - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

My husband and I may need to let out our Kelsall 1st floor flat for a while due to a new job. We used a Kelsall conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Even though your last Kelsall conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The rule is that if the deeds are silent, subletting is permitted. There may be a precondition that you are obliged to obtain permission from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior consent. Such consent should not be unreasonably turned down. If your lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I have recently realised that I have Seventy years left on my lease in Kelsall. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the lessor. In some cases a specialist should be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report to be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Kelsall.

I own a leasehold flat in Kelsall. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Kelsall who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Kelsall conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Kelsall conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Kelsall conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Kelsall 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 helpful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Kelsall Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the block? The majority of Kelsall leasehold flats will have a service charge for maintenance of the block set on behalf of the freeholder. Where you acquire the flat you will have to meet this contribution, normally quarterly throughout the year. This may differ from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant figure, say about £50-£100 but you need to enquire as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. Are there any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the maintenance charges?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Kelsall