You should [be sent a copy of the lease|receive a copy of the lease]

Expecting to exchange soon on a garden flat in Maryland. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they report fully next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and informed 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, freeholder
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• 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.
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames

For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Maryland please enquire of your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Maryland

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns buying a leasehold house in Maryland. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Maryland are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Maryland so you should seriously consider looking for a Maryland conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should appraise you on the various issues.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Maryland conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Maryland 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 speak with several firms including non Maryland conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
• How many lease extensions have they carried out in Maryland in the last twenty four months?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Maryland with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Maryland can be reduced if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority landlords or Management Companies in Maryland charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Maryland.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Maryland state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. Where you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in advance.
• If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride 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 prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.
• You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this via your conveyancers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £ 275000 flat in Maryland in 5 days. The landlords agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Maryland?

Maryland conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually involves fees being levied by managing agents :

• Answering pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Maryland
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Maryland leasehold property is £350. For Maryland conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to supply the information.

Notwithstanding our best endeavours, we have been unsuccessful in trying to purchase the freehold in Maryland. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Maryland conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Maryland flat is 151A Ham Park Road in May 2010. The matter came before the Tribunal by way of a vesting order made on 12 June 2009 Deputy District Judge Coonan in Bow County Court. The tribunal decided that the sum payable for the m to be paid for the lease extension was £21,445 This case related to 1 flat.

I inherited a ground floor flat in Maryland, conveyancing was carried out in 2003. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Maryland with over 90 years remaining are worth £179,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2090

With 64 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to range between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.