Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Upton Park:

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Recently asked questions relating to Upton Park leasehold conveyancing

There are only Sixty One years left on my flat in Upton Park. I now wish to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, 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 magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the freeholder. On the whole a specialist should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document which can be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Upton Park.

Planning to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Upton Park. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Upton Park should include some of the following:

  • The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and informed of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
  • The physical extent of the premises. This will be the flat itself but might incorporate a loft or cellar if applicable.
  • Whether the lease restricts you from subletting the flat, or having a home office for business
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • 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 the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Upton Park please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Upton Park

  • Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Upton Park conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Upton Park conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Upton Park conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be helpful:

    • How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Upton Park in the last year?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Upton Park who can give a testimonial?

  • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Upton Park with the intention of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Upton Park can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • Many landlords or Management Companies in Upton Park levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Upton Park.
  • A minority of Upton Park leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any 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 buyers or their lawyers.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property 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 the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check via your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. 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 £150000 garden flat in Upton Park in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Upton Park?

    Upton Park conveyancing on leasehold flats usually involves the buyer’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to 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 £350, in some situations it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality you have little option but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to complete the sale of your home.

    I have had difficulty in trying to purchase the freehold in Upton Park. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

    if there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute 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 arrive at the amount due.

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Upton Park premises is 46 Credon Road in January 2014. On 11 September 2013 Deputy District Judge Price sitting at the Bow County Court made a vesting order that the freeholder surrender his lease and be granted a new lease of the Premises on such terms as may be determined by the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).The appropriate sum as concluded by the Tribunal was £7225 This case related to 1 flat. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 69.77 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Upton Park