Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Dollis Hill - 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 am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two maisonettes in Dollis Hill which have in the region of fifty years left on the leases. should I be concerned?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Dollis Hill is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the property. For most purchasers and lenders, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Dollis Hill conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Dollis Hill. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

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. However, 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).

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Dollis Hill conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Dollis Hill conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Dollis Hill conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Dollis Hill in the last twenty four months?

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill can be reduced where you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers conveyancers.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in Dollis Hill charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Dollis Hill.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Dollis Hill leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you fail to have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand.
• Some Dollis Hill leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (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 purchasers or their solicitors.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Arranging a re-issued share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Dollis Hill conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share certificate is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Dollis Hill. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for the purchase of the freehold?

Where there is a absentee landlord or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the LVT to arrive at the price.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Dollis Hill premises 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 affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 65.58 years.

I own a 2 bed flat in Dollis Hill, conveyancing formalities finalised 2005. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Dollis Hill with an extended lease are worth £174,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2104

With just 78 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.