Sample questions relating to St Mawes leasehold conveyancing
I wish to let out my leasehold flat in St Mawes. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Is permission from the freeholder required?
Some leases for properties in St Mawes do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.
My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in St Mawes. Conveyancing and Chelsea Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in St Mawes who acted for me is not around.Any advice?
First contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a St Mawes conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.
I've recently bought a leasehold house in St Mawes. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a St Mawes conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a St Mawes conveyancing practice) it is most important 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 Mawes conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:
- What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in St Mawes in the last twenty four months?
Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in St Mawes from the perspective of expediting the sale process?
- Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in St Mawes can be avoided if you appoint lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
- Many landlords or Management Companies in St Mawes levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in St Mawes.
St Mawes Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to buying
-
In the main the outlay for major works tend not to be built into the service charges, albeit that some managing agents in St Mawes require leaseholders to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance.
Most St Mawes leasehold properties will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the block invoiced on behalf of the management company. If you buy the flat you will have to meet this amount, normally in instalments accross the year. This may be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, ordinarily this is not a significant sum, say around £25-£75 but you need to enquire it because on occasion it could be surprisingly expensive.
Who is in charge of the block?
Other Topics