I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Dulwich. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Dulwich - 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 have recently realised that I have 68 years unexpired on my flat in Dulwich. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application 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. However, you will be required to prove that you have used your best endeavours to track down the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent should be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Dulwich.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Dulwich. Conveyancing and Leeds Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Dulwich who previously acted has long since retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Dulwich conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Dulwich conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Dulwich conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non Dulwich conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Dulwich in the last twenty four months?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Dulwich from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Dulwich can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers lawyers.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Dulwich state that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such works. Should you fail to have the consents in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in advance.
• If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
• If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Dulwich home move. If a duplicate share certificate is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.
• You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is less than 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can a leaseholder apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Dulwich conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to calculate the price payable.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Dulwich residence is 60 Taymount Grange Taymount Rise in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the premium at £13,346 for a lease extension of a further 90 years This case related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 64 years.

I bought a garden flat in Dulwich, conveyancing was carried out 2011. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Dulwich with over 90 years remaining are worth £241,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2082

With 56 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £26,600 and £30,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.