Leasehold Conveyancing in Walton on the Naze - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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Leasehold conveyancing in Walton on the Naze is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Walton on the Naze and next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Questions and Answers: Walton on the Naze leasehold conveyancing

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to tick a lot of boxes, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Walton on the Naze. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Walton on the Naze ?

The majority of houses in Walton on the Naze are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Walton on the Naze so you should seriously consider looking for a Walton on the Naze conveyancing solicitor and check that they have experience in dealing with leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will advise you fully on all the issues.

I own a leasehold house in Walton on the Naze. Conveyancing and Bank of Scotland mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Walton on the Naze who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Walton on the Naze conveyancing practitioner 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 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am a negotiator for a long established estate agent office in Walton on the Naze where we see a few flat sales put at risk due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Walton on the Naze conveyancing firms. Can you shed some light as to whether the seller of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, 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 purchaser.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Walton on the Naze from the point of view of speeding up the sale process?

  • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Walton on the Naze can be avoided if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start advertising the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ representatives.
  • The majority landlords or managing agents in Walton on the Naze charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should enquire as to 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 obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Walton on the Naze.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the premises would they have required Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Walton on the Naze leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Where you dont have the consents to hand do not contact the landlord without contacting your conveyancer first.
  • Some Walton on the Naze leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is 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 the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you hold the original share certificate. Organising a new share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Walton on the Naze conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share certificate is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.

    • Completion in due on the disposal of our £425000 garden flat in Walton on the Naze next Friday . The management company has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Walton on the Naze?

    Walton on the Naze conveyancing on leasehold apartments more often than not necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to these enquiries most will be willing to do so. They may levy a reasonable charge for answering enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it exceeds £800. The administration charge demanded by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to exchange contracts with the buyer.

    Walton on the Naze Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

      Is the freehold owned jointly by the tenants? Is anyone aware of any major works in the near future that will likely add a premium to the maintenance fees? The best form of lease arrangement is where the freehold title is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this scenario the lessees have being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is usually retained if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Walton on the Naze