I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Waltham Abbey. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Waltham Abbey - 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.

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a reasonable figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have since discovered that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Waltham Abbey. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in Waltham Abbey are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in Waltham Abbey so you should seriously consider looking for a Waltham Abbey conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in transacting on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Waltham Abbey conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Waltham Abbey conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you make enquires with several firms including non Waltham Abbey conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be helpful:

• How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Waltham Abbey in the last 12 months?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Waltham Abbey who can give a testimonial?

Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Waltham Abbey from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Waltham Abbey can be bypassed if you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
• The majority landlords or Management Companies in Waltham Abbey charge for providing management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Waltham Abbey.
• In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Waltham Abbey leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. If you dont have the approvals to hand you should not contact the landlord without contacting your lawyer in the first instance.
• Some Waltham Abbey leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should 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 financially capable of paying the annual 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 lawyers.
• If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat 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 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 are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as over rather than unsettled.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £ 425000 maisonette in Waltham Abbey in six days. The freeholder has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Waltham Abbey?

Waltham Abbey conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually involves administration charges levied by management companies :

• Addressing pre-exchange enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Waltham Abbey
• 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 Waltham Abbey leasehold premises is £350. For Waltham Abbey 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.

After years of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Waltham Abbey. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to determine the premium.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Waltham Abbey property is 201 & 201a St. Barnabas Road in October 2013. The Tribunal decided that the price to be paid by the Applicants for the freehold interest is £20,071. This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 69.26 years.

Waltham Abbey Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Be sure to enquire if the the lease includes any onerous restrictions in the lease. For example it is very common in Waltham Abbey leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Waltham Abbey. If you like the flatin Waltham Abbey yet your cat can’t live with you then you will be presented with a hard choice. This question is important as a) areas may cause problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to have complete disclosure