Helen (my wife) and I may need to rent out our Wells Next The Sea 1st floor flat temporarily due to a career opportunity. We instructed a Wells Next The Sea conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Wells Next The Sea do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years left on my lease in Wells Next The Sea. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

On the basis that 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 enable the lease to be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent would be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Wells Next The Sea.

Planning to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in Wells Next The Sea. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. What should I be looking out for?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Wells Next The Sea should include some of the following:

• You should receive a copy of the lease

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my basement flat in Wells Next The Sea.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

It best that you 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 management companies 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.

Completion in due on our sale of a £300000 flat in Wells Next The Sea in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £372 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Wells Next The Sea?

Wells Next The Sea conveyancing on leasehold apartments more often than not requires the buyer’s solicitor submitting questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to assist. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some cases it is in excess of £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to complete the sale of your home.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Wells Next The Sea - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Can you tell me if there are any major works in the planning that could increase the service fees? The prefered form of lease structure is if the freehold reversion is owned by the leaseholders. In this arrangement the leaseholders enjoy control and even though a managing agent is usually employed if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. In the main the cost for major works are not wrapped into the maintenance charges, although a few managing agents in Wells Next The Sea obliged tenants to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific purpose of establishing a fund for larger repairs or maintenance.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Wells Next The Sea