I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Olney. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Olney - 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.

Due to complete next month on a garden flat in Olney. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they are sending me a report next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark

I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Olney. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Olney are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Olney in which case you should be shopping around for a Olney conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Olney. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in Olney who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Olney conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am employed by a long established estate agent office in Olney where we have witnessed a few flat sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have received conflicting advice from local Olney conveyancing solicitors. Please can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner 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. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. 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.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord 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 purchaser.

Olney Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

It would be wise to find out as much as possible about the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day matters like the upkeep of the common parts. Don't be shy to ask prospective neighbours whether they are happy with their service. In conclusion, find out the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the relevant party and precisely what it includes. Many Olney leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the building set on behalf of the management company. Should you purchase the flat you will have to meet this charge, normally periodically accross the year. This can be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal areas. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, ordinarily this is not a significant amount, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be prohibitively expensive. If a Olney lease has no more than eighty years it will impact the value of the apartment. It is worth checking with your bank that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will most likely need a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering how much this will be. For most Olneylease extensions you would be required to have been the owner of the property for 24 months in order to be entitled to extend the lease.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Olney