I have recently realised that I have 72 years left on my flat in Langport. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What should I do?

If 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 enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare a report to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Langport.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Langport. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Langport ?

Most houses in Langport are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Langport in which case you should be shopping around for a Langport conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a tenant you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Langport both have in the region of fifty years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. For this reason it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you get professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

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

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Langport conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with two or three firms including non Langport 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 useful:

• What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in Langport in the last year?

What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £475000 apartment in Langport in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £300 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Langport?

Langport conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates fees being raised by managing agents :

• Addressing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Langport
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Langport leasehold premises is £350. For Langport conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

Langport Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Is there a share of the freehold? Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that will increase the service costs? This question is helpful as a) areas may result in problems in the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate if maintenance are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the running of the building you will wish to have complete disclosure

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Langport