I only have Seventy years left on my flat in Pimlico. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have used your best endeavours to find the lessor. In some cases a specialist may be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Pimlico.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed flat in Pimlico.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a half-yearly service charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you pay the invoice 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.

I am looking at a couple of flats in Pimlico both have in the region of forty five years remaining on the lease term. should I be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Pimlico. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease shortens the value of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this field

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

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Pimlico conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Pimlico conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Pimlico who can give a testimonial?
• What are the legal fees for lease extension work?

Having spent months of correspondence we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Pimlico. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to determine the price.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Pimlico property is Flats 12A & 19, Evelyn Mansions Carlisle Place in June 2009. The Tribunal held that the price to be paid for the new lease of Flat 12A is £168,824, For the other flat the price was set at £169,110 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 56 years.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Pimlico what are the most frequent lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Pimlico. All leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. National Westminster Bank, Chelsea Building Society, and Godiva Mortgages Ltd all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

I inherited a studio flat in Pimlico, conveyancing formalities finalised 6 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Pimlico with an extended lease are worth £189,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2104

With just 78 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 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 supply the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.