Due to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Ponteland. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they are sending me a report within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Ponteland should include some of the following:

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years

The total extent of the demise. This will be the apartment itself but might incorporate a roof space or basement if applicable.

Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?

Does the lease prevent you from renting out the flat, or working from home

An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has

What you can do if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Ponteland please enquire of your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Ponteland

I own a leasehold house in Ponteland. Conveyancing and Nationwide Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in Ponteland who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Ponteland conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Ponteland from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Ponteland can be reduced where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ representatives.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Ponteland levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Ponteland.

In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Ponteland state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you dont have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand.

Some Ponteland leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.

You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should double-check by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £500000 maisonette in Ponteland in just under a week. The management company has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Ponteland?

Ponteland conveyancing on leasehold apartments nine out of ten times involves fees being levied by landlords agents :

• Addressing conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Ponteland
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Ponteland leasehold property is £350. For Ponteland conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

What makes a Ponteland lease defective?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Ponteland. Most leases is drafted differently and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

• Repairing obligations to or maintain parts of the building
• A duty to insure the building
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. National Westminster Bank, Chelsea Building Society, and Platform Home Loans Ltd all have very detailed requirements 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, obliging the buyer to withdraw.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Ponteland - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

It is important to be aware if fixing the lift or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future to be shared by the leasehold owners and will dramatically increase the the maintenance fees or require a one time invoice. Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge payments? Is the freehold owned jointly by the tenants?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Ponteland