Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Purley:

Get a Quote

Need to find a solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Purley on your lender’s panel? Make use of our search tool to find quality local Purley conveyancing practitioners or nationwide solicitors on your lender’s panel .

Sample questions relating to Purley leasehold conveyancing

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Purley. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Purley - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Purley. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to 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. However, 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 be sure 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).

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Purley with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Purley can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
  • Many freeholders or managing agents in Purley levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Purley.
  • A minority of Purley 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 put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a Purley home move. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to verify this by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • All being well we will complete the disposal of our £275000 apartment in Purley in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £396 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Purley?

    Purley conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not involves the buyer’s conveyancer submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions most will be willing to do so. They are entitled charge a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has little option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

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

    Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Purley conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Purley residence is The Woodlands 95 Purley Park Road in April 2009. The Tribunals own valuation produced the figure of £37,912. This case related to 6 flats. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 78.32 years.

    What are the common defects that you encounter in leases for Purley properties?

    Leasehold conveyancing in Purley is not unique. Most leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain clauses are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

    • A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the property
    • A duty to insure the building
    • 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

    You could encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Accord Mortgages Ltd, Coventry Building Society, and Aldermore all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to provide security, obliging the buyer to pull out.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Purley