Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Littleborough. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Littleborough - 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.

I only have Sixty One years remaining on my flat in Littleborough. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. 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 submit an application 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. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent should be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Littleborough.

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

The sensible thing to do is pay 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 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 am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Littleborough. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Littleborough ?

Most houses in Littleborough are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Littleborough in which case you should be shopping around for a Littleborough conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will report to you on the legal implications.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Littleborough conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Littleborough conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Littleborough conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

Littleborough Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? Plenty Littleborough leasehold flats will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the building levied on behalf of the landlord. Should you acquire the flat you will have to pay this liability, usually in instalments throughout the year. This can differ from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant amount, say around £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds. It would be wise to discover if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in Littleborough leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Littleborough. If you like the flatin Littleborough however your cat is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be faced hard decision.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Littleborough