Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Pentyrch. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Pentyrch - 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 have just started marketing my 2 bed apartment in Pentyrch.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you discharge 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 until 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I own a leasehold flat in Pentyrch. Conveyancing and National Westminster Bank mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Pentyrch who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Pentyrch conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Pentyrch. Am I liable to pay 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. However, 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 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 Pentyrch conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Pentyrch conveyancing firm) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you speak with several firms including non Pentyrch conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• How many lease extensions have they carried out in Pentyrch in the last 12 months?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Pentyrch who can give a testimonial?

Pentyrch Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Many Pentyrch leasehold apartments will incur a service bill for maintenance of the building set by the management company. Where you buy the property you will have to meet this amount, normally quarterly accross the year. This can be anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a significant sum, say around £50-£100 but you need to check it because on occasion it can be surprisingly expensive. You should want to discover as much as you can about the company managing the building as they will either make your life much easier or a lot more difficult. As the owner of a leasehold property you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters like the tidiness of the common parts. Don't be shy to ask prospective neighbours what they think of them. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and specifically what it includes.