Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Queen's Park. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Queen's Park - 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.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that seems to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Queen's Park. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Queen's Park ?

Most houses in Queen's Park are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Queen's Park in which case you should be looking for a Queen's Park conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Queen's Park conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Queen's Park conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Queen's Park conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Queen's Park in the last year?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Queen's Park who can give a testimonial?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Queen's Park from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Queen's Park can be bypassed if you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers solicitors.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in Queen's Park levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Queen's Park.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Queen's Park state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such works. If you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your solicitor first.
• Some Queen's Park 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 put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a flat where a dispute is ongoing. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £ 325000 maisonette in Queen's Park in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Queen's Park?

Queen's Park conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries the majority will be willing to assist. They may levy a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is above £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. In reality you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

I am the proprietor of a a ground floor purpose built flat in Queen's Park. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for a lease extension?

in cases where there is a absentee landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to decide the price payable.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Queen's Park premises is 4 & 4A Charteris Road in June 2009. the Tribunal held that the price to be paid for the enfranchisement of 4/4a Charteris Road to be £15,510 for at 4and £15,694 for at 4a This case related to 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 70.02 years.

I acquired a 1st floor flat in Queen's Park, conveyancing formalities finalised in 1998. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Queen's Park with a long lease are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2101

With only 75 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.