Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Neston. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Neston - 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 fiance and I may need to let out our Neston 1st floor flat temporarily due to a new job. We used a Neston conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Notwithstanding that your last Neston conveyancing solicitor is not around you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the apartment. 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 consent from your landlord or other appropriate person before subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without first obtaining permission. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

Back In 2004, I bought a leasehold flat in Neston. Conveyancing and Halifax mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Neston who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Neston conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, 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 Neston. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner 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).

What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Neston conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Neston conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you make enquires with several firms including non Neston conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be useful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in Neston who can give a testimonial?
• What are the charges for lease extension conveyancing?

Neston Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before buying

Its a good idea to find out as much as you can regarding the company managing the block as they will either make life much easier or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues like the upkeep of the common parts. Enquire of other tenants what they think of them. On a final note, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money. What is the yearly maintenance fee and ground rent? Plenty Neston leasehold apartments will have a service charge for maintenance of the block set on behalf of the management company. Should you acquire the property you will have to meet this charge, usually periodically throughout the year. This can be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a rentcharge to be met yearly, ordinarily this is not a significant sum, say about £25-£75 but you should to check as on occasion it can be surprisingly expensive.