Experts for Leasehold Conveyancing in Seascale and Sellafield

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Seascale and Sellafield, you will need to chose a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Lloyds, RBS or NatWest be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Find a Seascale and Sellafield conveyancing lawyer with our search tool

Questions and Answers: Seascale and Sellafield leasehold conveyancing

I want to sublet my leasehold flat in Seascale and Sellafield. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?

Notwithstanding that your last Seascale and Sellafield conveyancing solicitor is no longer available you can check your lease to check if you are permitted to let out the apartment. The rule is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you need to obtain permission via your landlord or some other party before subletting. This means that you cannot sublet in the absence of first obtaining permission. The consent should not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease prohibits you from letting out the property you should ask your landlord for their consent.

I have just started marketing my basement apartment in Seascale and Sellafield.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you clear 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 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 work for a busy estate agency in Seascale and Sellafield where we see a few leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have been given conflicting advice from local Seascale and Sellafield conveyancing solicitors. Could you confirm whether the seller of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, 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 buyer.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Seascale and Sellafield conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Seascale and Sellafield conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you make enquires with several firms including non Seascale and Sellafield 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 why not?
  • What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Seascale and Sellafield in the last 12 months?

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Seascale and Sellafield from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Seascale and Sellafield can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • The majority landlords or Management Companies in Seascale and Sellafield charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual reason for frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Seascale and Sellafield.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unsettled. 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 prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unresolved.
  • If you hold a share in a the freehold, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Arranging a replacement share certificate can be a lengthy process and delays many a Seascale and Sellafield conveyancing deal. Where a new share certificate is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this as soon as possible.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be advisable double-check by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the remaining number of years is less than 80 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • Seascale and Sellafield Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

      The prefered form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees enjoy being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is usually retained if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. This question is important as a) areas can result in problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate where repairs remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will wish to know about it How long is the Lease?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Seascale and Sellafield