I have recently realised that I have Seventy years left on my flat in Maryport. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What should I do?

On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to track down the landlord. On the whole a specialist should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document which can be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Maryport.

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Maryport. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Maryport 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 clear that you are buying in Maryport so you should seriously consider looking for a Maryport conveyancing practitioner and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

Back In 2005, I bought a leasehold house in Maryport. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Maryport who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Maryport conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am attracted to a couple of flats in Maryport which have about fifty years remaining on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease reduces and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

Completion in due on our sale of a £275000 maisonette in Maryport in 8 days. The management company has quoted £300 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Maryport?

Maryport conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually involves fees being raised by managing agents :

• Addressing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Maryport
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Maryport leasehold premises is £350. For Maryport conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide the information.

Maryport Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

What prohibitions are contained in the Maryport Lease? How many years are left on the lease? Be sure to investigate if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance it is fairly common in Maryport leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Maryport. If you like the flatin Maryport yet your dog is not allowed to move with you then you have a very difficult compromise.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Maryport