Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Wembley

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Wembley, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Lloyds, RBS or Nationwide make sure you choose a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Examples of recent questions relating to leasehold conveyancing in Wembley

I've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Wembley. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Wembley are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Wembley in which case you should be looking for a Wembley conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Wembley. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I am employed by a long established estate agency in Wembley where we have experienced a few leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have received inconsistent advice from local Wembley conveyancing solicitors. Please can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Wembley conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Wembley 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 make enquires with two or three firms including non Wembley conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be helpful:

  • How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Wembley in the last twenty four months?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Wembley who can give a testimonial?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Wembley from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Wembley can be avoided where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Wembley state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you fail to have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in the first instance.
  • Some Wembley leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Wembley conveyancing deal. Where a reissued share is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check via your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • I am the registered owner of a two-bedroom flat in Wembley. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium payable for a lease extension?

    Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Wembley conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Lease Extension case for a Wembley flat is Ground Floor Flat 79 London Road in September 2012. the Tribunal held that the premium payable for the lease extension should be £7,636 This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 74 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Wembley