Guaranteed fixed fees for Leasehold Conveyancing in Shrewsbury

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While any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically deal with your leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury, 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 Shrewsbury leasehold conveyancing

Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Shrewsbury - 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.

There are only 72 years remaining on my flat in Shrewsbury. I am keen to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent would be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Shrewsbury.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to be perfect, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Shrewsbury. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Shrewsbury are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Shrewsbury so you should seriously consider looking for a Shrewsbury conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is part of an estate. Your lawyer should advise you fully on all the issues.

What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Shrewsbury conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Shrewsbury conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Shrewsbury conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions might be useful:

  • If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in Shrewsbury in the last year?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury can be avoided if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
    • Many freeholders or Management Companies in Shrewsbury levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Shrewsbury.
  • A minority of Shrewsbury leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual 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 solicitors.
  • If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be nervous about purchasing a property where a dispute is unsettled. You will have to accept that you will have to 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 will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as historic rather than ongoing.
  • If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming process and frustrates many a Shrewsbury conveyancing deal. If a new share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this at the earliest opportunity.

    • I am the registered owner of a 1 bedroom flat in Shrewsbury, conveyancing was carried out 2005. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Shrewsbury with an extended lease are worth £246,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2090

    With 65 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

    The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Shrewsbury