Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Ormskirk. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Ormskirk - 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.

I wish to rent out my leasehold apartment in Ormskirk. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

A lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Ormskirk do not contain an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the flat. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a duplicate of the sublease.

There are only Fifty years unexpired on my flat in Ormskirk. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to find the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent should be helpful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Ormskirk.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Ormskirk which have in the region of 50 years remaining on the lease term. Will this present a problem?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Ormskirk is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the salability of the property. For most buyers and mortgage companies, leases with less than eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Ormskirk conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Ormskirk with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Ormskirk can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers solicitors.
• Many freeholders or Management Companies in Ormskirk charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Ormskirk.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Ormskirk - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Who is in charge of the building? The best form of lease structure is where the freehold interest is owned by the leaseholders. In this situation the tenants enjoy control and notwithstanding that a managing agent is often retained where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. For many Ormskirk leaseholds the outlay for major works tend not to be incorporated into the maintenance charges, although some managing agents in Ormskirk require leasehold owners to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Ormskirk