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Any conveyancing practice can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Meliden, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Meliden leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I have recently realised that I have Fifty years left on my lease in Meliden. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. 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 lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent would be useful to try and locate and to produce a report which can be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Meliden.

Due to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Meliden. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark
  • Defining your legal entitlements in respect of the communal areas in the block.E.G., does the lease provide for a right of way over an accessway or staircase?
  • Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • 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
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Meliden please ask your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Meliden

    • I've recently bought a leasehold house in Meliden. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

    Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

    If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

    I am a negotiator for a long established estate agent office in Meliden where we have witnessed a few leasehold sales jeopardised as a result of short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Meliden conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

    As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

    Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

    What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Meliden conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

    If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Meliden conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Meliden conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

    • How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Meliden who can give a testimonial?

    • Meliden Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

      What is the name of the managing agents? How is the lease structured? On the whole the cost for major works are not included within service charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Meliden require leasehold owners to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific intention of establishing a fund for major works.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Meliden