I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Abbey Wood. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Abbey Wood are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Abbey Wood in which case you should be looking for a Abbey Wood conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agency in Abbey Wood where we have experienced a few flat sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have received conflicting advice from local Abbey Wood conveyancing solicitors. Can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Abbey Wood conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Abbey Wood conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you make enquires with several firms including non Abbey Wood conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

All being well we will complete the sale of our £300000 maisonette in Abbey Wood next Wednesday . The landlords agents has quoted £396 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Abbey Wood?

Abbey Wood conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes often necessitates the buyer’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to such questions most will be willing to do so. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

I own a ground floor flat in Abbey Wood. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for a lease extension?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Abbey Wood conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Abbey Wood residence is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case affected 13 flats. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 76 years.

What makes a Abbey Wood lease unacceptable for security purposes?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Abbey Wood. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You may encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Birmingham Midshires, Leeds Building Society, and TSB all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Abbey Wood