Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years remaining on my lease in Coulsdon. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply 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 have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. For most situations a specialist should be helpful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Coulsdon.

Due to complete next month on a leasehold property in Coulsdon. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they will have a report out to me next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Setting out your legal entitlements in relation to the communal areas in the building.By way of example, does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• You need to be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
• What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?

I work for a reputable estate agent office in Coulsdon where we have experienced a few flat sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Coulsdon conveyancing firms. Could you confirm whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Coulsdon with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Coulsdon can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Coulsdon charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Coulsdon.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Coulsdon state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. If you dont have the consents to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer first.
• Some Coulsdon leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate is often a time consuming formality and delays many a Coulsdon conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share certificate is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such issues? Can you recommend a Coulsdon conveyancing firm to represent me?

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

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Coulsdon premises is 223 Brighton Road in September 2013. The premium payable for the acquisition freehold of the properties should be £10,934 (Ten thousand,nine hundred and thirty four pounds) This case was in relation to 3 flats. The unexpired term was 75 years.

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

Leasehold conveyancing in Coulsdon is not unique. Most leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain sections are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the building
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Santander, Leeds Building Society, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

Coulsdon Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

What is the length of the lease? In the main the cost for major works tend not to be included within maintenance charges, albeit that some managing agents in Coulsdon obliged leaseholders to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major works. It is important to be aware whether redecorating or some other significant cost is pending to be shared by the leasehold owners and could well dramatically impact the level of the service fees or require a specific invoice.