Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Sedgefield. Before I set the wheels in motion I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Sedgefield - 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 have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Sedgefield.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – what should I do?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay 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 managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Back In 2001, I bought a leasehold house in Sedgefield. Conveyancing and Chelsea Building Society mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Sedgefield who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Sedgefield conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Sedgefield conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Sedgefield conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Sedgefield conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be useful:

• How familiar is the practice with lease extension legislation?

Can they put you in touch with client in Sedgefield who can give a testimonial?

We expect to complete the sale of our £400000 flat in Sedgefield next Friday . The freeholder has quoted £420 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Sedgefield?

Sedgefield conveyancing on leasehold flats normally results in administration charges raised by managing agents :

• Completing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Sedgefield
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your lawyer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Sedgefield leasehold property is £350. For Sedgefield conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide the information.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Sedgefield - Examples of Queries before buying

This question is helpful as a) areas may result in problems for the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where repairs remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to know about it Make sure you investigate if the the lease includes any onerous restrictions in the lease. By way of example it is very common in Sedgefield leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Sedgefield. If you like the propertyin Sedgefield yet your dog is not allowed to live with you then you will be faced hard decision. The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the leaseholders enjoy control and although a managing agent is often employed if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Sedgefield