Expecting to sign contracts shortly on a studio apartment in West Ruislip. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they report fully on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The unexpired lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my ground floor flat in West Ruislip.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should 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 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I've found a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in West Ruislip. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in West Ruislip are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in West Ruislip so you should seriously consider looking for a West Ruislip conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer should report to you on the legal implications.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in West Ruislip. Conveyancing and Barnsley Building Society 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 1998. The conveyancing solicitor in West Ruislip who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a West Ruislip conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in West Ruislip. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

West Ruislip Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

If a West Ruislip lease has no more than 80 years it will affect the salability of the apartment. Check with your mortgage company that they are happy with remaining years on the lease. A short lease means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and you need to have some idea of how much this would cost. For most West Ruisliplease extensions you would be required to have owned the premises for two years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. Be sure to discover if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in West Ruislip. If you like the apartmentin West Ruislip however your cat is not allowed to move with you then you will be presented with a difficult choice. Many West Ruislip leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service bill for the upkeep of the block invoiced by the landlord. Where you acquire the apartment you will have to meet this amount, usually in instalments during the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. In all probability there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a significant amount, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to check as on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in West Ruislip