Planning to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Bedford Park. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Bedford Park should include some of the following:

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark
• Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the flat, or having a home office for business
• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

I have just started marketing my garden flat in Bedford Park.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you 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 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Back In 2001, I bought a leasehold house in Bedford Park. Conveyancing and The Royal Bank of Scotland mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing practitioner in Bedford Park who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Bedford Park conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Bedford Park conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Bedford Park conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Bedford Park conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Bedford Park in the last 12 months?
• What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

We have reached the end of our tether in trying to purchase the freehold in Bedford Park. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Bedford Park conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Bedford Park premises is 169 Southfield Road in September 2013. the tribunal decided that the premium to be paid in respect of the collective enfranchisement should be £51,203 This case related to 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 64.64 years.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Bedford Park what are the most frequent lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Bedford Park. All leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain provisions are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
• Insurance obligations
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease can cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Aldermore all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

Bedford Park Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

It would be sensible to discover as much as possible regarding the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues like the tidiness of the common parts. You should not be afraid to ask other tenants whether they are happy with them. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money. You should be aware that where the lease has less than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the property. It is worth checking with your bank that they are happy with remaining years on the lease. A short lease means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension at some point and it is worth finding out what this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the premises for two years before you are entitled to carry out a lease extension.