I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Oakleigh Park. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Oakleigh Park ?

Most houses in Oakleigh Park are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are buying in Oakleigh Park in which case you should be shopping around for a Oakleigh Park conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Oakleigh Park. Conveyancing and Bank of Ireland mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Oakleigh Park who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Oakleigh Park 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 legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Oakleigh Park. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part 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 advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Oakleigh Park conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Oakleigh Park conveyancing firm) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Oakleigh Park conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

All being well we will complete the sale of our £150000 garden flat in Oakleigh Park on Thursday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £348 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 Oakleigh Park?

Oakleigh Park conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally requires the purchaser’s solicitor sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be content to do so. They may levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is above £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the charge is not strictly payable. In reality you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

After years of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Oakleigh Park. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Oakleigh Park conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Oakleigh Park residence is Flat 2 2 Netherfield Road in April 2010. The Tribunale held that premium payable for a 90 year extension to the existing Lease should be £7,705. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 76 years.