Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall, you will need to chose a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, RBS or NatWest make sure you choose a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Coney Hall conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Coney Hall leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Coney Hall - 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 have recently realised that I have 62 years unexpired on my lease in Coney Hall. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, 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 mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. In some cases a specialist would be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Coney Hall.

Back In 2003, I bought a leasehold flat in Coney Hall. Conveyancing and The Royal Bank of Scotland mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Coney Hall who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Coney Hall conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers lawyers.
  • The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Coney Hall levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Coney Hall leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Where you dont have the paperwork to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in the first instance.
  • If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to pay 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 ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic rather than unsettled.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming formality and delays many a Coney Hall home move. Where a duplicate share certificate is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • Despite our best efforts, we have been unsuccessful in seeking a lease extension in Coney Hall. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

    You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Coney Hall conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Coney Hall flat is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case related to 1 flat. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 50.57 years.

    When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall what are the most frequent lease defects?

    There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Coney Hall. Most leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    • A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the property
    • 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 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. Nationwide Building Society, Skipton Building Society, and Barclays Direct 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 problematic they may refuse to provide security, obliging the buyer to withdraw.