I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Ramsey. Before diving in I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Ramsey - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title.For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Harry (my fiance) and I may need to sub-let our Ramsey ground floor flat temporarily due to a new job. We instructed a Ramsey conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?

Even though your last Ramsey conveyancing solicitor is not available you can review your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain permission from your landlord or some other party in advance of subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining consent. The consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If your lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.

I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Ramsey.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear the invoice 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable figure which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Ramsey. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Ramsey ?

The majority of houses in Ramsey are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Ramsey so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Ramsey conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should report to you on the legal implications.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Ramsey conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Ramsey conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Ramsey conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be of use:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
• What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in Ramsey in the last year?

Ramsey Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

Many Ramsey leasehold properties will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building set on behalf of the freeholder. Where you acquire the property you will have to pay this amount, usually in instalments during the year. This could vary from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built buildings. There will also be a rentcharge to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a exorbitant sum, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive. What is the yearly maintenance fee and ground rent?