Leasehold Conveyancing in Rainham Kent - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Rainham Kent, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Clydesdale , RBS or NatWest make sure you choose a lawyer on their panel. Find a Rainham Kent conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Top Five Questions relating to Rainham Kent leasehold conveyancing

I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Rainham Kent.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Back In 2001, I bought a leasehold flat in Rainham Kent. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Rainham Kent who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First contact HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Rainham Kent conveyancing practitioner to do this as it can be done on-line 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.

I am looking at a couple of maisonettes in Rainham Kent both have about fifty years left on the leases. should I be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Rainham Kent. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the value of the lease deteriorate and results in it becoming more expensive to extend the lease. For this reason it is advisable to extend the lease term. It is often difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We advise that you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

Last month I purchased a leasehold house in Rainham Kent. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Rainham Kent with the intention of expediting the sale process?

  • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Rainham Kent can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s permission? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Rainham Kent leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. If you dont have the paperwork in place you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer in the first instance.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is marketed. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where a dispute is unresolved. You may need to swallow your pride 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 are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as over rather than unsettled.
  • If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Organising a re-issued share certificate is often a lengthy formality and delays many a Rainham Kent conveyancing deal. If a new share is required, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is less than 75 years. It is therefore important at an early stage that you identify whether the lease for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

    • Rainham Kent Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to buying

      How is the lease structured? How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Are there any major works in the near future that will increase the maintenance costs?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Rainham Kent