Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Maulden:

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Any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Maulden, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Frequently asked questions relating to Maulden leasehold conveyancing

There are only 68 years left on my lease in Maulden. I am keen to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

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 granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent would be helpful to carry out a search and to produce an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Maulden.

I have just started marketing my garden apartment in Maulden.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Maulden. Conveyancing and Aldermore mortgage organised. I have received a letter 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 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Maulden who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Maulden 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 landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Maulden conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Maulden conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Maulden conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

  • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Maulden from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Maulden can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • Many landlords or managing agents in Maulden charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Maulden.
  • A minority of Maulden leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is unresolved. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Obtaining a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and delays many a Maulden conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share certificate is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • Maulden Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries before buying

      Does the lease have more than 80 years remaining? The answer will be helpful as a) areas could result in problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if maintenance are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to have complete disclosure The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the tenants have control and even though a managing agent is often employed if it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Maulden