Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Matlock. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Matlock - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

My partner and I may need to rent out our Matlock ground floor flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Matlock conveyancing practice in 2003 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Matlock conveyancing lawyer is not around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the premises. The rule is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain permission via your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without first obtaining permission. Such consent must not not be unreasonably turned down. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord for their consent.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Matlock. Conveyancing and Nottingham Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in Matlock who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Matlock conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the sale of our £150000 maisonette in Matlock in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £336 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Matlock?

Matlock conveyancing on leasehold flats normally involves the purchaser’s solicitor submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be content to assist. They are at liberty invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it exceeds £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality you have no option but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Are there common problems that you come across in leases for Matlock properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Matlock. All leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
• Insurance obligations
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Halifax, The Mortgage Works, and Clydesdale 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 provide security, obliging the buyer to pull out.

Matlock Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

You should be aware if it is no more than eighty years it will impact the marketability of the apartment. It is worth checking with your bank that they are happy with remaining years on the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the premises for a couple of years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. How many years are left on the lease? Generally speaking the cost for major works tend not to be included within maintenance charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Matlock ask tenants to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger works.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Matlock