Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea. Before diving in I require certainty as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in St Leonards On Sea - 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 own a leasehold house in St Leonards On Sea. Conveyancing and Birmingham Midshires mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing solicitor in St Leonards On Sea who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

First contact HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a St Leonards On Sea conveyancing firm 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 freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a St Leonards On Sea conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a St Leonards On Sea conveyancing firm) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non St Leonards On Sea conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• Can they put you in touch with client in St Leonards On Sea who can give a testimonial?

What are the costs for lease extension work?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea can be reduced if you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
• The majority landlords or managing agents in St Leonards On Sea levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in St Leonards On Sea.

If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? St Leonards On Sea leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. If you fail to have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer before hand.

If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. 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 buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing.

You may think that you are aware of the number of years left 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 to exchange contracts if the lease term is below 80 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

All being well we will complete our sale of a £275000 garden flat in St Leonards On Sea in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in St Leonards On Sea?

St Leonards On Sea conveyancing on leasehold flats typically necessitates administration charges raised by management companies :

• Completing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in St Leonards On Sea
• Copies of the building insurance and schedule
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for St Leonards On Sea leasehold property is £350. For St Leonards On Sea 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 obliged to supply answers.

St Leonards On Sea Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

It is important to be aware whether changing the roof or some other significant cost is due shortly to be shared by the tenants and could well dramatically impact the level of the maintenance costs or necessitate a specific payment. You will want to find out as much as possible about the managing agents as they will either make living at the property much simpler or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you will be in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical matters like the upkeep of the common parts. Enquire of other people whether they are happy with them. In conclusion, be sure you discover the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and precisely what it includes. Can you tell me if there are any major works on the horizon that will add a premium to the maintenance charges?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in St Leonards On Sea