Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Northop Hall:

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

Top Five Questions relating to Northop Hall leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Northop Hall. Before I get started I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

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

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years unexpired on my lease in Northop Hall. I now wish to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the lessor. On the whole an enquiry agent would be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Northop Hall.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Northop Hall. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

In a situation 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. Strange as it may seem, 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).

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Northop Hall conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Northop Hall conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Northop Hall conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

  • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Northop Hall in the last 12 months?

    • Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Northop Hall from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Northop Hall can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Northop Hall levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Northop Hall.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Northop Hall state that internal structural changes or addition of wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you dont have the paperwork to hand do not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in the first instance.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy process and frustrates many a Northop Hall conveyancing deal. Where a duplicate share is necessary, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
  • You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this by asking your lawyers. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you identify whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • Leasehold Conveyancing in Northop Hall - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

      Best to be warned if window replacement or some other significant cost is pending to be shared between the leasehold owners and will materially increase the the service costs or require a one time invoice. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? How much is the ground rent and service charge?

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    Lease Extensions in Northop Hall