Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Havering-atte-Bower. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Havering-atte-Bower - 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 want to rent out my leasehold flat in Havering-atte-Bower. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

The lease governs relations between the freeholder and you the flat owner; specifically, it will set out if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Havering-atte-Bower do not contain subletting altogether – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the flat. In most cases there is simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a copy of the sublease.

I own a leasehold flat in Havering-atte-Bower. Conveyancing and Halifax mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in Havering-atte-Bower who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing solicitor 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 legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I work for a long established estate agency in Havering-atte-Bower where we have experienced a few flat sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing firms. Can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can initiate the lease extension process for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed 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.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £ 125000 flat in Havering-atte-Bower on Monday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Havering-atte-Bower?

Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually involves the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They may levy a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is above £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I have had difficulty in seeking a lease extension in Havering-atte-Bower. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Havering-atte-Bower property is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case affected 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 57.5 years.

Havering-atte-Bower Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Its a good idea to find out as much as you can about the company managing the building as they can either make living at the property much easier or much more difficult. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day issues such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of other tenants what they think of their service. Finally, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and specifically what it includes. Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders? Please tell me if there are any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the service charges?