I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Nannerch.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just received a quarterly service charge demand – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear 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 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've found a house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Nannerch. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Nannerch are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Nannerch so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Nannerch conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your lawyer should appraise you on the various issues.

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agent office in Nannerch where we have experienced a few flat sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given contradictory information from local Nannerch conveyancing solicitors. Please can you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can initiate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

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.

We expect to complete the sale of our £200000 maisonette in Nannerch on Friday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Nannerch?

Nannerch conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally requires the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions most will be content to assist. They are entitled charge a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have no choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to sell the property.

What makes a Nannerch lease unmortgageable?

Leasehold conveyancing in Nannerch is not unique. Most leases are individual and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain clauses are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements 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

You could encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Barclays , Leeds Building Society, and Clydesdale all have very detailed conveyancing instructions 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 purchaser to withdraw.

Nannerch Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

The best form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the leaseholders have being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is usually employed if it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. How long is the Lease? Most Nannerch leasehold flats will have a service bill for maintenance of the building levied by the management company. Where you acquire the apartment you will have to meet this charge, usually quarterly accross the year. This can be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all probability there will be a ground rent to be met annual, this is usually not a exorbitant amount, say around £25-£75 but you need to enquire as occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Nannerch