Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Dollis Hill

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Any conveyancing practice can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Sample questions relating to Dollis Hill leasehold conveyancing

Frank (my husband) and I may need to sub-let our Dollis Hill basement flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We used a Dollis Hill conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

The lease dictates the relationship between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in Dollis Hill do not prevent subletting altogether – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the flat. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the sublease.

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Dollis Hill.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay 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 until 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.

I am employed by a busy estate agency in Dollis Hill where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales derailed due to short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Dollis Hill conveyancing firms. Can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner 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. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have 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 simultaneously with 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 buyer.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Dollis Hill conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Dollis Hill conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Dollis Hill conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

  • How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Dollis Hill in the last twenty four months?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill can be reduced if you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • Many landlords or managing agents in Dollis Hill charge for supplying 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 cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Dollis Hill state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you dont have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer before hand.
  • Some Dollis Hill leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly 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 lawyers.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the freehold, you should make sure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate is often a time consuming process and frustrates many a Dollis Hill conveyancing transaction. Where a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • I have given up trying to purchase the freehold in Dollis Hill. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

    Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Dollis Hill conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Dollis Hill flat is 12 & 12A Deacon Road in May 2010. the Tribunal concluded that the price to be paid for the freehold should be £38,287 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 65.58 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Dollis Hill