Planning to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Wealdstone. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, freeholder

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Wealdstone. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Wealdstone ?

The majority of houses in Wealdstone are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Wealdstone in which case you should be shopping around for a Wealdstone conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

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

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Wealdstone conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Wealdstone conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?

Completion in due on the disposal of our £250000 flat in Wealdstone on Friday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Wealdstone?

Wealdstone conveyancing on leasehold flats more often than not involves the purchaser’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions the majority will be content to assist. They may charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. In reality you have no option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I am the proprietor of a ground-floor 1960’s flat in Wealdstone. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount due for a lease extension?

Where there is a absentee landlord or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to judgment on the amount due.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Wealdstone residence is 139/139A Masons Avenue in February 2010. this was a case with an absentee freeholder. As a result the leaseholders applied to Willesden County Court for an order dispensing with the giving of a notice of claim.14th October 2009 District Judge Brar granted a vesting order and the court directed that the matter should be transferred to this tribunal to determine the freehold premium. The tribunal concluded on a fi
gure of £13,000 for the freehold interest This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 74 years.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Wealdstone what are the most frequent lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Wealdstone. All leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain sections are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the property
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

You may have difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Yorkshire Building Society, Leeds Building Society, and Britannia all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to pull out.