I am hoping to exchange soon on a ground floor flat in Stockport. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Stockport should include some of the following:

• You must be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change

Whether your lease has a provision for a sinking fund?

I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required

Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your property and do you know what it means in practice?

The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building

What options are open to you if a neighbour is in violation of a provision in their lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Stockport please ask your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Stockport

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Stockport. Conveyancing and Santander mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Stockport who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Stockport conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Stockport conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Stockport conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with two or three firms including non Stockport 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 of use:

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

What are the legal fees for lease extension conveyancing?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Stockport from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Stockport can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers representatives.
• The majority landlords or Management Companies in Stockport charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Stockport.

If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where there is a current dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and 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 clearly preferable to present the dispute as over rather than unsettled.

If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should make sure that you hold the original share certificate. Obtaining a new share certificate is often a time consuming process and frustrates many a Stockport home move. Where a reissued share is necessary, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.

You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but it would be advisable verify this by asking your conveyancers. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an as soon as possible that you identify 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.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £225000 flat in Stockport next week. The freeholder has quoted £420 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Stockport?

For most leasehold sales in Stockport conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Completing pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Stockport
• 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 Stockport leasehold property is £350. For Stockport 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 supply answers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Stockport - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

Please note if it is fewer than 80 years it will impact the salability of the property. It is worth checking with your bank that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this will be. For most Stockportlease extensions you would need to own the premises for a couple of years in order to be entitled to exercise a lease extension. For most Stockport leaseholds the cost for major works are not wrapped into the maintenance charges, although there some managing agents in Stockport require leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger works. Be sure to investigate if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Stockport. If you love the flatin Stockport yet your dog can’t move with you then you have a very hard compromise.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Stockport