Expecting to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Wallington. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Wallington. Conveyancing and HSBC Bank mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Wallington who previously acted has long since retired.Do I pay?

First contact HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Wallington conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, 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 looking at a two apartments in Wallington both have approximately forty five years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the value of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agent office in Wallington where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales put at risk due to short leases. I have received conflicting advice from local Wallington conveyancing solicitors. Could you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can start the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as 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 can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with 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 buyer.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £325000 apartment in Wallington next week. The landlords agents has quoted £372 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Wallington?

Wallington conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually involves the buyer’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to such questions most will be content to do so. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

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

in cases where there is a absentee landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to make a decision on the premium.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Wallington residence is 21 & 23 Carshalton Grove in May 2009. the Tribunal adopted the figures presented as the premiums payable by the Applicant i.e. a total of £20,750. This case related to 2 flats. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 72 years.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Wallington