Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Longlands. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they are sending me a report on Monday. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark
• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• Whether the lease restricts you from renting out the flat, or having a home office for business
• 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.
• Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice?
• 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

Back In 2005, I bought a leasehold flat in Longlands. Conveyancing and Bank of Scotland mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Longlands who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Longlands conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Longlands conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Longlands conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you talk with several firms including non Longlands conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Longlands who can give a testimonial?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Longlands with the purpose of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Longlands can be avoided where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers solicitors.
• The majority landlords or Management Companies in Longlands charge for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Longlands.
• If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled.
• If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Obtaining a new share certificate is often a lengthy formality and delays many a Longlands conveyancing transaction. If a reissued share is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

All being well we will complete our sale of a £ 375000 garden flat in Longlands in nine days. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Longlands?

Longlands conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates the buyer’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries most will be willing to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the charge is not strictly payable. In reality one has little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

After months of dialogue we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Longlands. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

Where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute 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 decide the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Longlands premises is 103a Footscray Road in January 2014. The tribunal determines that the premium payable for the extended lease should be £34,500 according to the expert witness valuation calculation This case was in relation to 1 flat.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Longlands - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

It would be sensible to discover as much as possible about the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues like the upkeep of the common parts. Don't be shy to ask prospective neighbours whether they are happy with them. Finally, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and specifically what it includes. How is the lease structured? How much is the ground rent and service charge?