Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Coombe:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Coombe, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, Yorkshire Building Society or Nationwide make sure you choose a lawyer on their panel. Find a Coombe conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Frequently asked questions relating to Coombe leasehold conveyancing

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Coombe both have about forty five years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Coombe. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Coombe. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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).

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Coombe from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Coombe can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers conveyancers.
  • Many landlords or managing agents in Coombe levy fees 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 accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Coombe.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Coombe state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such alterations. If you dont have the consents in place do not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand.
  • If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or settle 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 are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
  • If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a re-issued share certificate can be a time consuming process and slows down many a Coombe conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.

    • All being well we will complete the disposal of our £350000 apartment in Coombe next Friday . The management company has quoted £348 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Coombe?

    Coombe conveyancing on leasehold flats normally involves the purchaser’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They may invoice a reasonable charge for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. In reality you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

    We have reached the end of our tether in trying to purchase the freehold in Coombe. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

    Where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to make a decision on the price.

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Coombe residence is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case related to 1 flat.

    Are there frequently found problems that you witness in leases for Coombe properties?

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

    • A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
    • 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 will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Accord Mortgages Ltd, Leeds Building Society, and Platform Home Loans Ltd all have very detailed requirements 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 buyer to withdraw.