I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Saffron Walden. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Saffron Walden - 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.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Saffron Walden. Conveyancing solicitors have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Saffron Walden are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Saffron Walden so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Saffron Walden conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Saffron Walden. Conveyancing and Nationwide Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Saffron Walden who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Saffron Walden 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 legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

All being well we will complete our sale of a £450000 flat in Saffron Walden in six days. The management company has quoted £372 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Saffron Walden?

Saffron Walden conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not requires the purchaser’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries the majority will be willing to assist. They are entitled levy a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is in excess of £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Saffron Walden what are the most common lease problems?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Saffron Walden. All leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain provisions are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the building
• Insurance obligations
• 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 will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. HSBC Bank, Bank of Scotland, and Aldermore all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

Saffron Walden Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

Who is in charge of the block? The majority of Saffron Walden leasehold apartments will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the block invoiced by the landlord. Should you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, normally periodically accross the year. This may differ from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant sum, say about £25-£75 but you need to enquire as sometimes it can be surprisingly expensive. What prohibitions are there in the Saffron Walden Lease?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Saffron Walden