Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Seaford

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While any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Seaford, your mortgage provider may not be willing to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Frequently asked questions relating to Seaford leasehold conveyancing

I am intending to sublet my leasehold apartment in Seaford. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for permission?

Even though your last Seaford conveyancing solicitor is not around you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is permitted. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you need to seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior 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 for their consent.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Seaford. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Seaford should include some of the following:

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease ends, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • Will you be prohibited or prevented from having pets in the property?
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • Responsibility for repairing the window frames For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Seaford please ask your solicitor in advance of your conveyancing in Seaford

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Seaford with the aim of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Seaford can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • Many landlords or Management Companies in Seaford charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Seaford.
  • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Seaford state that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such alterations. Should you dont have the consents in place you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your solicitor first.
  • Some Seaford leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate can be a lengthy process and slows down many a Seaford conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share certificate is required, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on our sale of a £325000 apartment in Seaford on Wednesday in a week. The managing agents has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Seaford?

    Seaford conveyancing on leasehold apartments often requires the buyer’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer such questions the majority will be content to do so. They are at liberty levy a reasonable charge for answering questions 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 transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that one has little option but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to sell the property.

    What makes a Seaford lease unmortgageable?

    Leasehold conveyancing in Seaford is not unique. All leases is drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain provisions are wrong. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

    • 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

    You may have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Lloyds TSB Bank, Leeds Building Society, and Britannia all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

    Seaford Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

      It would be prudent to enquire if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. For example it is fairly common in Seaford leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Seaford. If you like the apartmentin Seaford yet your dog can’t move with you then you have a very hard decision. Does this lease have more than 90 years remaining? How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Seaford