Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years unexpired on my lease in Pocklington. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

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 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 magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent would be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document which can be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Pocklington.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Pocklington. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Pocklington are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Pocklington so you should seriously consider looking for a Pocklington conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold house in Pocklington. Conveyancing and HSBC Bank mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing solicitor in Pocklington who previously acted has long since retired.Do I pay?

First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Pocklington conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am attracted to a couple of apartments in Pocklington both have about forty five years remaining on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease shortens the marketability of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more costly to extend the lease. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

We expect to complete the disposal of our £ 175000 flat in Pocklington in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Pocklington?

Pocklington conveyancing on leasehold flats usually requires the buyer’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer these enquiries most will be willing to do so. They are at liberty charge a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is above £800. The management information fee levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I bought a 1 bedroom flat in Pocklington, conveyancing formalities finalised 2005. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Pocklington with an extended lease are worth £215,000. The ground rent is £60 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2087

With 61 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £17,100 and £19,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.