I have recently realised that I have Fifty years left on my flat in St Bees. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that 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 lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to locate the freeholder. In some cases a specialist would be helpful to try and locate and to produce an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing St Bees.

I've found a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have since discovered that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a house with a leasehold title in St Bees. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in St Bees ?

The majority of houses in St Bees are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in St Bees in which case you should be looking for a St Bees conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will report to you on the legal implications.

I own a leasehold house in St Bees. Conveyancing and National Westminster Bank mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in St Bees who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a St Bees conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in St Bees which have about forty five years remaining on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As a lease gets shorter the value of the lease decreases and it becomes more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is advisable to increase the term of the lease. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease because mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on such properties. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional assistance from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

All being well we will complete our sale of a £125000 garden flat in St Bees next Monday . The managing agents has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in St Bees?

St Bees conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes often requires the buyer’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to address these enquiries the majority will be willing to do so. They may invoice a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some cases it is above £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

I am the registered owner of a studio flat in St Bees, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in St Bees with a long lease are worth £245,000. The ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2076

You have 51 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £36,100 and £41,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.

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Lease Extensions in St Bees