I have recently realised that I have Seventy years left on my lease in Tregaron. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have used your best endeavours to locate the freeholder. On the whole a specialist should be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Tregaron.

Looking forward to exchange soon on a basement flat in Tregaron. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Tregaron should include some of the following:

• You should be sent a copy of the lease

I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Tregaron.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – Do I pay up?

The sensible thing to do is pay 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.

I work for a busy estate agency in Tregaron where we have experienced a few leasehold sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Tregaron conveyancing firms. Can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has been the owner 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 proposed purchaser 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 needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the sale.

An alternative approach is 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.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £225000 apartment in Tregaron next Thursday . The managing agents has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Tregaron?

Tregaron conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes often involves the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer these enquiries most will be willing to do so. They are entitled charge a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is above £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is technically not due. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

Tregaron Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

What restrictions exist in the Tregaron Lease? Most Tregaron leasehold properties will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the building levied on behalf of the management company. If you buy the property you will have to meet this contribution, usually in instalments throughout the year. This may be anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay annual, this is usually not a significant figure, say around £25-£75 but you should to check as sometimes it can be many hundreds of pounds. You will want to find out as much as possible concerning the company managing the block as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters like the upkeep of the common parts. Ask other people whether they are happy with them. On a final note, find out the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Tregaron