I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Whitton. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Whitton - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Looking forward to complete next month on a studio apartment in Whitton. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
• 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.
• Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?
• Responsibility for repairing the window frames
• What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease?

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Whitton which have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the lease term. should I be concerned?

A lease is a right to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease gets shorter the marketability of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is generally wise to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you get professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Whitton with the purpose of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Whitton can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers solicitors.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Whitton state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. If you dont have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer in the first instance.
• Some Whitton leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly 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 lawyers.
• If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unresolved.
• If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Organising a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming formality and delays many a Whitton home move. If a new share is required, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £ 350000 maisonette in Whitton next Tuesday . The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Whitton?

Whitton conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally involves the buyer’s solicitor sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions the majority will be content to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries 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 management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

I have had difficulty in seeking a lease extension in Whitton. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Whitton conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Whitton residence is Ground Floor Flat 91 Bath Road in May 2009. in a case where the freeholder could not be traced, the Brentford County Court ordered that the Lease be surrendered in return for the grant of a new lease of the Premises at a premium determined by the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. The tribunal concluded that the price payable by the Applicant for the new lease of the premises be £15,900 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term was 60.45 years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Whitton - Examples of Queries before buying

Please note that where the lease has fewer than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the flat. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are content with remaining years on the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will probably need a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. For most Whittonlease extensions you would be required to have owned the property for two years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. Best to be warned whether window replacement or some other major work is due in the near future that will be shared amongst the leaseholders and will dramatically increase the the maintenance costs or require a specific payment.