Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Sandbach. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Sandbach - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars 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 seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a house with a leasehold title in Sandbach. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Sandbach ?

The majority of houses in Sandbach are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Sandbach in which case you should be shopping around for a Sandbach conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Sandbach. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

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. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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).

I am employed by a long established estate agent office in Sandbach where we have experienced a number of flat sales put at risk as a result of short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Sandbach conveyancing solicitors. Can you confirm whether the vendor of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Sandbach what are the most frequent lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Sandbach. Most leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain clauses are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

• A provision to repair to or maintain parts of the premises
• A duty to insure the building
• A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
• Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

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. Lloyds TSB Bank, Skipton Building Society, and Bank of Ireland all have express requirements 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 grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to pull out.

Sandbach Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

The answer will be important as a) areas may cause problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will wish to have full disclosure The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the lessees have control and although a managing agent is frequently employed where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Are there any major works anticipated that could increase the maintenance charges?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Sandbach