I only have 72 years unexpired on my flat in Pyle. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that you qualify, 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 Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent may be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document to be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Pyle.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Pyle. Conveyancing and Alliance & Leicester mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing solicitor in Pyle 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 purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Pyle conveyancing lawyer 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 rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

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

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

• If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £ 250000 flat in Pyle next Friday . The landlords agents has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Pyle?

Pyle conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes typically results in fees being invoiced by managing agents :

• Completing pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Pyle
• 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 Pyle leasehold premises is £350. For Pyle 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 required to provide answers.

What are the common deficiencies that you witness in leases for Pyle properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Pyle. All leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain sections are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the premises
• A duty to insure the building
• Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts.
• Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage

A defective lease can cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Lloyds TSB Bank, The Mortgage Works, and Bank of Ireland 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 is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to pull out.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Pyle - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

You should be aware that where the lease has less than eighty years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the apartment. Check with your lender that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. A short lease means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of what this would cost. For most Pylelease extensions you would be required to have owned the premises for two years before you are entitled to carry out a lease extension. On the whole the outlay for major works tend not to be included within service charges, although a few managing agents in Pyle obliged leaseholders to pay into a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance.