I have recently realised that I have 62 years remaining on my flat in Wargrave. I now want to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to locate the lessor. On the whole a specialist would be helpful to try and locate and to produce a report which can be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Wargrave.

I have just appointed agents to market my basement apartment in Wargrave.Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon but I have just had a yearly maintenance charge invoice – 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 management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until 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.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Wargrave. Conveyancing and Godiva Mortgages Ltd mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing solicitor in Wargrave who acted for me is not around.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Wargrave conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Do you have any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Wargrave from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Wargrave can be reduced where you instruct lawyers the minute you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers conveyancers.
• Many landlords or managing agents in Wargrave levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should discover the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Wargrave.

Completion in due on the disposal of our £425000 flat in Wargrave next week. The management company has quoted £360 for Landlord’s certificate, 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 Wargrave?

Wargrave conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally involves the buyer’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries the majority will be content to do so. They are at liberty levy a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The management information fee demanded by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration charges, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. Reality however dictates that you have little option but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to complete the sale of your home.

Wargrave Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries Prior to buying

It would be prudent to find out if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. By way of example plenty of leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Wargrave. If you like the flatin Wargrave yet your dog can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a difficult decision. If a Wargrave lease has no more than eighty years it will affect the value of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are willing to to proceed given the lease term. A short lease means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease at some point and you need to have some idea of how much this will be. For most Wargravelease extensions you will be required to have owned the residence for 24 months in order to be legally able to carry out a lease extension. On the whole the outlay for major works tend not to be included within service charges, albeit that some managing agents in Wargrave ask leaseholders to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger works.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Wargrave