Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years left on my flat in Bexleyheath. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What options are available to me?

If 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 an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have used your best endeavours to locate the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent may be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Bexleyheath.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Bexleyheath. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Bexleyheath should include some of the following:

• Setting out your rights in respect of common areas in the block.E.G., does the lease contain a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• 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
• Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?
• I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Bexleyheath. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Bexleyheath ?

Most houses in Bexleyheath are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Bexleyheath so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Bexleyheath conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant 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’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £ 500000 flat in Bexleyheath in 10 days. The landlords agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Bexleyheath?

Bexleyheath conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries most will be content to assist. They are at liberty levy a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to sell the property.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can I apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Bexleyheath conveyancing firm to represent me?

Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Bexleyheath conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Bexleyheath 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 was in relation to 13 flats. The unexpired lease term was 76 years.

When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Bexleyheath what are the most frequent lease problems?

Leasehold conveyancing in Bexleyheath is not unique. All leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain provisions are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the building
• 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 have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Halifax, Leeds Building Society, and Aldermore all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to pull out.

Bexleyheath Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

Please inform me if there are any major works in the near future that could add a premium to the maintenance costs? The answer will be helpful as a) areas can cause problems in the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to have full disclosure The best form of lease arrangement is if the freehold title is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the leaseholders benefit from control and although a managing agent is often employed where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves.