Leasehold Conveyancing in South Woodford - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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Recently asked questions relating to South Woodford leasehold conveyancing

I am hoping to exchange soon on a basement flat in South Woodford. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in South Woodford should include some of the following:

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • Setting out your rights in respect of common areas in the block.For example, does the lease include a right of way over a path or hallways?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building
  • What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in South Woodford please enquire of your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in South Woodford

    • Back In 2002, I bought a leasehold flat in South Woodford. Conveyancing and Britannia mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in South Woodford 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 the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a South Woodford conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

    I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in South Woodford both have in the region of fifty years unexpired on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

    A lease is a right to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the saleability of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to extend the lease term. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be unwilling to lend money on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

    I am a negotiator for a busy estate agency in South Woodford where we have experienced a few leasehold sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local South Woodford conveyancing firms. Could you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?

    Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

    Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

    Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a South Woodford conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a South Woodford conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with several firms including non South Woodford conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

    • How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in South Woodford in the last twenty four months?

    • I am the proprietor of a ground floor flat in South Woodford. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium due for a lease extension?

    if there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to calculate the price.

    An example of a Lease Extension case for a South Woodford property is 135 Maybank Road in January 2013. The Tribunal determined that the price to be paid by the tenants for the grant of a new lease is £10,592 This case related to 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 71.2 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in South Woodford