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

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

I only have 68 years left on my lease in Penzance. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that 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 an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to locate the lessor. For most situations a specialist may be helpful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Penzance.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Penzance. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Penzance are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Penzance in which case you should be shopping around for a Penzance conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’spermission to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Penzance which have in the region of fifty years left on the leases. should I be concerned?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Penzance is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the salability of the premises. The majority of purchasers and lenders, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises 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 a residence 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 Penzance conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending 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.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Penzance what are the most frequent lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Penzance. All leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. HSBC Bank, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and TSB all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.

Penzance Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

The best form of lease structure is where the freehold reversion is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this scenario the lessees benefit from being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is frequently retained where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders. Who are the managing agents? Plenty Penzance leasehold properties will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building levied by the freeholder. If you purchase the flat you will have to meet this charge, usually quarterly throughout the year. This can be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common areas. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, normally this is not a exorbitant figure, say around £25-£75 but you should to check it because occasionally it could be many hundreds of pounds.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Penzance