I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Lymm. Before I get started I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Lymm - 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.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years remaining on my lease in Lymm. I need to get lease extension but my landlord is absent. What are my options?

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 an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the landlord. For most situations an enquiry agent may be helpful to try and locate and to produce a report which can be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Lymm.

Due to sign contracts shortly on a basement flat in Lymm. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

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

• Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the leaseholder (you), head lessor, landlord
• Are pets allowed in the flat?
• You must be told what constitutes a Nuisance in the lease
• An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• 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

Back In 2003, I bought a leasehold flat in Lymm. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Lymm who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Lymm conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £ 200000 garden flat in Lymm next week. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Lymm?

Lymm conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not requires the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries most will be willing to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Lymm Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

It is important to be aware if fixing the lift or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future to be shared between the leaseholders and will materially increase the the service costs or result in a specific payment. Is the freehold reversion owned collectively by the leaseholders? Be sure to find out if the the lease includes any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. By way of example plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Lymm. If you like the flatin Lymm however your dog is not allowed to live with you then you have a very difficult choice.