Expecting to exchange soon on a studio apartment in Sunningdale. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they are sending me a report tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

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

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

How long the lease is You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of the 80 year mark

Setting out your rights in relation to the communal areas in the block.For example, does the lease grant a right of way over a path or hallways?

Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?

You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions

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

Responsibility for repairing the window frames For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Sunningdale please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Sunningdale

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor flat in Sunningdale.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

It best that you discharge the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Back In 2002, I bought a leasehold house in Sunningdale. Conveyancing and Barclays Direct mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Sunningdale who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Sunningdale conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Sunningdale. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee 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).

Completion in due on the disposal of our £400000 flat in Sunningdale next week. The management company has quoted £360 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Sunningdale?

Sunningdale conveyancing on leasehold flats nine out of ten times involves fees being levied by management companies :

• Answering conveyancing due diligence questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Sunningdale
• 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 conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Sunningdale leasehold premises is £350. For Sunningdale 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 provide answers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Sunningdale - A selection of Queries before buying

Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical issues like the tidiness of the common parts. Don't be shy to ask other tenants what they think of them. Finally, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the relevant party and precisely how they are spending the funds. The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the lessees enjoy control and although a managing agent is frequently employed if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. The answer will be important as a) areas may result in problems for the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate if services remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to have all the details

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Sunningdale