I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Mirfield. Before I get started I would like to find out the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Mirfield - 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.

Helen (my wife) and I may need to let out our Mirfield 1st floor flat for a while due to a new job. We instructed a Mirfield conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed 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?

Even though your last Mirfield conveyancing lawyer is not around you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to seek permission via your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior permission. Such consent should not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Mirfield.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I own a leasehold flat in Mirfield. Conveyancing and Britannia mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Mirfield who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

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. There is no need to instruct a Mirfield conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Mirfield. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation 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. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

Mirfield Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

You should be aware that where the lease has fewer than eighty years it will impact the value of the property. Check with your mortgage company that they are happy with residual term of the lease. A short lease means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Mirfieldlease extensions you will be required to have been the owner of the residence for two years before you are legally able to extend the lease. What is the the remaining lease term? Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that will likely increase the maintenance fees?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Mirfield