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

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Westgate on Sea, you will need to appoint a conveyancing lawyer with leasehold experience. Whether your mortgage company is to be Lloyds, Birmingham Midshires or Nationwide be sure to find a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Frequently asked questions relating to Westgate on Sea leasehold conveyancing

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Westgate on Sea. Before I set the wheels in motion I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Westgate on Sea - 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.

Expecting to exchange soon on a basement flat in Westgate on Sea. Conveyancing solicitors inform 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 Westgate on Sea should include some of the following:

  • The physical extent of the premises. This will be the apartment itself but might include a loft or cellar if appropriate.
  • Do you need to have carpet in the flat or are you allowed wood flooring?
  • Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this is subject to change
  • An explanation as to the provision in the lease to pay service charges - with regard to both the building, and the more general rights a leaseholder has
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide. For a comprehensive list of information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Westgate on Sea please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Westgate on Sea

    • I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Westgate on Sea.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

    The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice 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 managing agents 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

    Back In 2009, I bought a leasehold house in Westgate on Sea. Conveyancing and Birmingham Midshires mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Westgate on Sea who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

    The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Westgate on Sea conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

    Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Westgate on Sea with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Westgate on Sea can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in Westgate on Sea levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most common reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Westgate on Sea.
  • Some Westgate on Sea leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where a dispute is unresolved. You will have to accept that you will have to discharge 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 purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than unresolved.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you are holding the original share certificate. Obtaining a replacement share certificate can be a time consuming formality and slows down many a Westgate on Sea conveyancing deal. Where a new share certificate is needed, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this sooner rather than later.

    • Leasehold Conveyancing in Westgate on Sea - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

      The best form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the leaseholders benefit from control and even though a managing agent is usually employed if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders. How is the lease structured? Please tell me if there are any major works in the near future that will add a premium to the service fees?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Westgate on Sea