Due to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in East Barnet. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they report fully tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Defining your legal entitlements in respect of common areas in the building.E.G., does the lease permit a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
• Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
• You should be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
• Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
• Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
• What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease?

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in East Barnet. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in East Barnet ?

Most houses in East Barnet are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in East Barnet in which case you should be looking for a East Barnet conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in East Barnet. Conveyancing and Alliance & Leicester mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing practitioner in East Barnet who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a East Barnet conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am attracted to a couple of flats in East Barnet which have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease shortens the marketability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this area

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £ 350000 apartment in East Barnet in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in East Barnet?

East Barnet conveyancing on leasehold flats more often than not necessitates the buyer’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to such questions most will be content to do so. They are at liberty levy a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is above £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

Having spent months of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in East Barnet. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

if there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to calculate the sum to be paid.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a East Barnet residence is 23 Beaconsfield Road in July 2013. The Tribunals decided that the amount payable was £31,203 for the freehold. This case related to 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 70.31 years.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in East Barnet, conveyancing was carried out in 2004. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding flats in East Barnet with a long lease are worth £251,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2078

With only 52 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £33,300 and £38,400 plus costs.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.