I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Colliers Wood. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Colliers Wood - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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 would like to let out my leasehold apartment in Colliers Wood. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Some leases for properties in Colliers Wood 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 review references. Experience suggests 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 consent.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years unexpired on my lease in Colliers Wood. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. 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 for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have used your best endeavours to track down the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent may be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Colliers Wood.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Colliers Wood. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

After months of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Colliers Wood. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Colliers Wood conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Colliers Wood flat is 14 Nutwell Street in January 2014. The premium payable for the acquisition of a new lease of the subject premises was in the sum of £30,523 This case affected 1 flat. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 62.94 years.

Are there common problems that you encounter in leases for Colliers Wood properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Colliers Wood. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain clauses are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the building
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• 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. Barclays , Bank of Scotland, and Aldermore 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, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

Colliers Wood Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Be sure to discover if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. By way of example it is reasonably common in Colliers Wood leases that pets are not permitted in certain buildings in Colliers Wood. If you love the apartmentin Colliers Wood yet your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard determination. In the main the outlay for major works are not included within service charges, albeit that some managing agents in Colliers Wood require leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for major repairs or maintenance. This information is useful as a) areas can cause problems for the building as the common areas may start to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the managing agents you will need to have full disclosure