Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Berrylands

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Berrylands, you will need to chose a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, Yorkshire Building Society or Bradford & Bingley make sure you find a lawyer on their panel. Find a Berrylands conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Top Five Questions relating to Berrylands leasehold conveyancing

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Berrylands. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Berrylands - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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 want to let out my leasehold apartment in Berrylands. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?

A small minority of properties in Berrylands do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Berrylands both have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the marketability of the lease decreases and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. For this reason it is generally wise to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Berrylands with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Berrylands can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ lawyers.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Berrylands state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you dont have the consents to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance.
  • If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy formality and frustrates many a Berrylands conveyancing transaction. If a reissued share is needed, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this by asking your lawyers. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is less than 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to purchase the freehold in Berrylands. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

    Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Berrylands conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension case for a Berrylands flat is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case affected 1 flat.

    What are the common deficiencies that you see in leases for Berrylands properties?

    There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Berrylands. All leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the building
    • A duty to insure the building
    • 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

    A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Nationwide Building Society, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Barclays Direct all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Berrylands