Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Millwall

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Millwall, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Clydesdale , RBS or Nationwide be sure to find a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Millwall conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Common questions relating to Millwall leasehold conveyancing

I’m about to sell my ground floor flat in Millwall.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you 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 managing agents 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.

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Millwall. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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).

What are your top tips when it comes to finding a Millwall conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Millwall conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Millwall conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

  • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • What volume of lease extensions have they completed in Millwall in the last 12 months?

    • Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Millwall with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Millwall can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers representatives.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Millwall charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Millwall.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Millwall leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such changes. If you fail to have the approvals in place do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in advance.
  • A minority of Millwall leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual 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 buyers or their solicitors.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge 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 are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.

    • Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £475000 flat in Millwall next week. The management company has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Millwall?

    Millwall conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally necessitates the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries the majority will be content to do so. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries 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 exceeds £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

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

    Where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the price payable.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Millwall property is 12, 14 & 16 Hull Close in May 2010. the Tribunal determined that the premium payable for the acquisition of the freehold to the subject premises was the sum of £18,300 This case related to 3 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 101.61 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Millwall