Leasehold Conveyancing in North Harrow - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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Frequently asked questions relating to North Harrow leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in North Harrow. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in North Harrow - 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.

Jane (my partner) and I may need to sub-let our North Harrow 1st floor flat for a while due to a career opportunity. We used a North Harrow conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

The lease dictates relations between the landlord and you the flat owner; in particular, it will say if subletting is banned, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. The majority of leases in North Harrow do not contain strict prohibition on subletting – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. Instead, there is usually a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.

I own a leasehold house in North Harrow. Conveyancing and The Mortgage Works mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in North Harrow who previously acted has long since retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a North Harrow conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, 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 finding a North Harrow conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a North Harrow conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non North Harrow conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

  • What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in North Harrow in the last twenty four months?
  • What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in North Harrow with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in North Harrow can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in North Harrow charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in North Harrow.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? North Harrow leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your lawyer first.
  • Some North Harrow leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. The 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 very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. 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 as opposed to unresolved.

    • We have reached the end of our tether in seeking a lease extension in North Harrow. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

    Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a North Harrow conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a North Harrow premises is flat 93b Welldon Crescent in May 2009. The Tribunals valuation for a 90-year lease extension of this fat was £13,171 This case related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 75.25 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in North Harrow