Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Colindale

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While any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Colindale, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Colindale

There are only 62 years remaining on my flat in Colindale. I am keen to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

On the basis that 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 enable the lease to be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. On the whole a specialist should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Colindale.

Expecting to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Colindale. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
  • Defining your rights in respect of the communal areas in the block.E.G., does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or hallways?
  • Does the lease prevent you from subletting the flat, or working from home
  • 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
  • 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
  • Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Colindale please enquire of your lawyer in advance of your conveyancing in Colindale

    • I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Colindale. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Colindale ?

    The majority of houses in Colindale are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Colindale so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Colindale conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will report to you on the legal implications.

    Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Colindale with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Colindale can be reduced where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Colindale charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack sought 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 frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Colindale.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Colindale leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. If you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer in advance.
  • If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. 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 historic as opposed to unresolved.
  • If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Organising a replacement share certificate is often a time consuming formality and frustrates many a Colindale conveyancing deal. If a reissued share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • All being well we will complete our sale of a £325000 garden flat in Colindale in 10 days. The freeholder has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Colindale?

    Colindale conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates the buyer’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries the majority will be content to assist. They are at liberty charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the charge is not strictly payable. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

    I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can one make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Colindale conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?

    in cases where there is a missing landlord or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine the price.

    An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Colindale residence is 27B Hillside in February 2010. the resulting premium, all other aspects of the valuation having been agreed between the parties was set at £8,250 This case affected 1 flat. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 70.25 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Colindale