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

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Thamesmead, you will need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Halifax, Yorkshire Building Society or Nationwide make sure you find a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Frequently asked questions relating to Thamesmead leasehold conveyancing

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Thamesmead. Before I get started I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Thamesmead - 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.

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement apartment in Thamesmead.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge 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 management companies 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.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Thamesmead. Conveyancing and Platform Home Loans Ltd mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Thamesmead who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Thamesmead conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Thamesmead conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Thamesmead conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Thamesmead conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

  • If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Thamesmead in the last twenty four months?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Thamesmead with the intention of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Thamesmead can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ lawyers.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in Thamesmead charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Thamesmead.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Thamesmead leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. If you fail to have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in advance.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge any arrears of service charge or settle 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 are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Organising a new share certificate is often a time consuming formality and slows down many a Thamesmead conveyancing transaction. Where a duplicate share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

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

    You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Thamesmead conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension case for a Thamesmead premises is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case affected 13 flats. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 76 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Thamesmead