Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Forest Gate

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Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Forest Gate

There are only 72 years left on my flat in Forest Gate. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that 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 for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent would be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Forest Gate.

Expecting to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Forest Gate. Conveyancing solicitors have said that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Forest Gate should include some of the following:

  • Defining your legal entitlements in relation to the communal areas in the block.By way of example, does the lease permit a right of way over a path or hallways?
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • 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 options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Forest Gate please ask your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Forest Gate

    • Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement flat in Forest Gate.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

    The sensible thing to do is 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 management companies 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've recently bought a leasehold property in Forest Gate. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

    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. It is an essential part 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).

    Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Forest Gate from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Forest Gate can be avoided where you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers representatives.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in Forest Gate levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for 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 usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Forest Gate.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Forest Gate leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord consenting to such changes. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.
  • A minority of Forest Gate 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 financially capable of paying 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 purchasers or their lawyers.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check via your lawyers. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to where the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • I am the registered owner of a garden flat in Forest Gate. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium payable for a lease extension?

    in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the price payable.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Forest Gate flat is 52 & 54 Green Street in February 2010. Following a vesting order by the County Court the Tribunal decided that the price that the Applicant for the freehold interest should pay is £20,543 This case affected 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 78 and 80.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Forest Gate