Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years left on my lease in De Beauvoir Town. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to find the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent would be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing De Beauvoir Town.

Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a leasehold property in De Beauvoir Town. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they report fully within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Setting out your rights in relation to the communal areas in the building.For instance, does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• 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
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor apartment in De Beauvoir Town.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in De Beauvoir Town. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation 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. 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).

We expect to complete our sale of a £ 500000 flat in De Beauvoir Town in 10 days. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in De Beauvoir Town?

De Beauvoir Town conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes often necessitates the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be willing to assist. They may levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is above £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I am the leaseholder of a basement flat in De Beauvoir Town. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the sum due for a lease extension?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a De Beauvoir Town conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a De Beauvoir Town residence is 5C Stoke Newington Road in April 2010. the Tribunal therefore concludes that the premium to be paid for the extended lease is £700.00 This case related to 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 80.5 years.

De Beauvoir Town Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

You should want to discover as much as you can concerning the company managing the block as they will either make your life much easier or much more difficult. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters like the cleanliness of the common parts. Ask other tenants what they think of their service. On a final note, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the relevant party and precisely what it includes. Make sure you discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance it is fairly common in De Beauvoir Town leases that pets are not permitted in certain buildings in De Beauvoir Town. If you love the propertyin De Beauvoir Town but your dog can’t make the move with you then you have a very difficult compromise.