Due to complete next month on a ground floor flat in Poundbury. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully next week. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Poundbury should include some of the following:

• The physical extent of the demise. This will be the flat itself but could also incorporate a loft or basement if applicable.
• Does the lease prohibit wood flooring?
• Does the lease prevent you from subletting the flat, or having a home office for business
• Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
• You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
• Repair and maintenance of the flat
• The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building

I own a leasehold house in Poundbury. Conveyancing and Yorkshire Building Society mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Poundbury who previously acted has now 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 indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Poundbury conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Poundbury conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Poundbury conveyancing practice) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Poundbury conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

• How experienced is the firm with lease extension legislation?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Poundbury who can give a testimonial?

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Poundbury from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Poundbury can be avoided if you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
• Many landlords or Management Companies in Poundbury levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Poundbury.
• A minority of Poundbury leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 solicitors.
• If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unsettled. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but you should double-check by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is less than 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £ 150000 apartment in Poundbury next week. The managing agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Poundbury?

Poundbury conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally involves the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They may invoice a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it exceeds £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

Poundbury Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

The answer will be useful as a) areas could cause problems in the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where maintenance remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will need to have full disclosure How much is the yearly maintenance fee and ground rent?