I have recently realised that I have 62 years remaining on my flat in Leigh On Sea. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application 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 or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the lessor. For most situations a specialist should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Leigh On Sea.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a garden flat in Leigh On Sea. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Leigh On Sea should include some of the following:

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder

I have just started marketing my basement apartment in Leigh On Sea.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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.

Back In 2004, I bought a leasehold house in Leigh On Sea. Conveyancing and HSBC Bank 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 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Leigh On Sea who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Leigh On Sea conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £450000 maisonette in Leigh On Sea next week. The freeholder has quoted £396 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Leigh On Sea?

Leigh On Sea conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes often involves the purchaser’s conveyancer sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They are at liberty levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it is above £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Leigh On Sea Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

You should be aware that where the lease has less than eighty years it will impact the value of the flat. Check with your bank that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. For most Leigh On Sealease extensions you will need to own the premises for a couple of years before you are eligible to extend the lease. What is the the remaining lease term? Most Leigh On Sea leasehold flats will have a service bill for maintenance of the building set by the landlord. If you buy the apartment you will have to meet this charge, usually periodically throughout the year. This could vary from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built buildings. In all probability there will be a ground rent for you to pay annual, this is usually not a large figure, say about £50-£100 but you need to check it because occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds.

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Lease Extensions in Leigh On Sea