Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Norbury

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While any conveyancing practice can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Norbury, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Norbury leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

I have recently realised that I have Sixty One years unexpired on my lease in Norbury. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have used your best endeavours to track down the freeholder. On the whole a specialist may be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Norbury.

Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Norbury. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
  • Are pets allowed in the flat?
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • 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
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Norbury please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Norbury

    • Back In 2001, I bought a leasehold flat in Norbury. Conveyancing and Platform Home Loans Ltd 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 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Norbury who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

    The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to instruct a Norbury conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

    What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Norbury conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Norbury conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with two or three firms including non Norbury conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

    • How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Norbury from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Norbury can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Norbury leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such changes. Where you dont have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.
  • Some Norbury leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you are holding the original share certificate. Arranging a replacement share certificate is often a lengthy process and slows down many a Norbury home move. If a reissued share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 80 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • I am the proprietor of a basement flat in Norbury. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount payable for the purchase of the freehold?

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

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Norbury flat is Flat 12, Newlands Court Streatham Common North in May 2012. the decision of the Tribunal was that the premium payable by the Applicants to the Respondent for the new lease of the Premises be £70,140. This case related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 23.25 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Norbury