I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Stow on the Wold. Before I get started I would like to find out the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and most are in Stow on the Wold - 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.

Back In 2001, I bought a leasehold house in Stow on the Wold. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in Stow on the Wold who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Stow on the Wold conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am a negotiator for a busy estate agency in Stow on the Wold where we have experienced a few leasehold sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have received inconsistent advice from local Stow on the Wold conveyancing firms. Could you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the buyer?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Stow on the Wold with the intention of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Stow on the Wold can be avoided if you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to put together the leasehold information needed by the buyers solicitors.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Stow on the Wold levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Stow on the Wold.
• Some Stow on the Wold leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are able to meet the yearly 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
• If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be warry about purchasing a property where there is a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and pay any arrears of service charge or settle the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to ongoing.
• If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate is often a lengthy formality and slows down many a Stow on the Wold home move. If a reissued share is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

Completion in due on the sale of our £ 225000 garden flat in Stow on the Wold next week. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Stow on the Wold?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Stow on the Wold conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

• Answering pre-exchange questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Stow on the Wold
• 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 Stow on the Wold leasehold premises is £350. For Stow on the Wold 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.

Stow on the Wold Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

How is the lease structured? Best to be warned if redecorating or some other major work is due shortly to be shared between the leasehold owners and may well materially impact the level of the service charges or require a one off invoice.