Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Brimsdown:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Brimsdown, you will need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Santander, RBS or NatWest make sure you find a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Brimsdown conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Brimsdown leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

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

It best that you discharge the invoice 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 a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Brimsdown where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Brimsdown conveyancing solicitors. Can you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is 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 are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Brimsdown conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Brimsdown conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Brimsdown conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

  • If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Brimsdown who can give a testimonial?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Brimsdown with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Brimsdown can be avoided where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • Many freeholders or Management Companies in Brimsdown charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Brimsdown.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Brimsdown state that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Should you dont have the consents to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor before hand.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Brimsdown conveyancing deal. Where a new share certificate is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • Having spent years of dialogue we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Brimsdown. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

    Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Brimsdown conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Vesting Order and Purchase of freehold matter before the tribunal for a Brimsdown premises is Ground Floor Flat 4A Baronet Road in February 2010. Following a vesting order by Edmonton County Court on 23rd December 2008 (case number 8ED064) the Tribunal decided that the price that the Applicant for the freehold interest should pay is £8,689.00 This case related to 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 80.01 years.

    What are the frequently found deficiencies that you see in leases for Brimsdown properties?

    Leasehold conveyancing in Brimsdown is not unique. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    • Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the property
    • A duty to insure the building
    • Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
    • Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

    You will have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Birmingham Midshires, Coventry Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to pull out.