Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years unexpired on my lease in Tottenham. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

If you qualify, 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. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report which can be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Tottenham.

I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Tottenham. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Tottenham ?

The majority of houses in Tottenham are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Tottenham in which case you should be looking for a Tottenham conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I work for a long established estate agency in Tottenham where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have received conflicting advice from local Tottenham conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the seller of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner 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 proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. 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 sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder 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 purchaser.

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Tottenham conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Tottenham conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Tottenham conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Tottenham who can give a testimonial?

Completion in due on the sale of our £400000 garden flat in Tottenham next week. The management company has quoted £336 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Tottenham?

Tottenham conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally involves the purchaser’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They may charge a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is above £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have little choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

Having spent months of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Tottenham. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Tottenham conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Tottenham flat is 30 Strode Road in June 2013. Following a vesting order by Edmonton County Court on 20th February 2013 the Tribunal arrived at a valuation for enfranchisement of £10,256 for the premises (£4,074 for the Ground Floor Flat and £6182 for the First Floor Flat) and £100 for the appurtenant land. This case was in relation to 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 83.33 and 77.3.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Tottenham