Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Catford:

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Top Five Questions relating to Catford leasehold conveyancing

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Catford. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Catford - 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.

Due to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Catford. Conveyancing lawyers have said 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 Catford should include some of the following:

  • Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the flat, or having a home office for business
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
  • 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 reserve fund?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • 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 For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Catford please ask your conveyancer in ahead of your conveyancing in Catford

    • I own a leasehold flat in Catford. Conveyancing and Platform Home Loans Ltd mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Catford who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

    First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Catford conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Catford conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

    When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Catford conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Catford conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

    • If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • How many lease extensions have they conducted in Catford in the last 12 months?

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

    in cases where there is a missing landlord or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the premium.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Catford premises is 44 Elmer Road in January 2013. The Tribunal dacied that amount to be paid by the Leaseholders for the Landlords freehold reversion was £12,951 as at the valuation date (20" September 2012).This matter was referred back to the Bromley County Court to deal with costs, fees and any other outstanding matters. This case related to 2 flats. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 74.25 years.

    When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Catford what are the most common lease defects?

    Leasehold conveyancing in Catford is not unique. All leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    • 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.
    • Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

    You will encounter 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. Santander, Barnsley Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have express conveyancing instructions 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, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Catford