Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Whitley Bay. Before I get started I require certainty as to the number of years remaining on the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and 99.9% are in Whitley Bay - 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.

I’m about to sell my ground floor flat in Whitley Bay.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just had a half-yearly service charge demand – 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Whitley Bay both have about fifty years left on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Whitley Bay. The lease is a right to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to increase the term of the lease. It is often difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a protracted process. We recommend you seek professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this field

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Whitley Bay conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

When appointing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Whitley Bay conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non Whitley Bay conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be of use:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £450000 maisonette in Whitley Bay next Friday . The managing agents has quoted £384 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Whitley Bay?

Whitley Bay conveyancing on leasehold flats usually requires the purchaser’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is not legally bound to answer these enquiries most will be willing to assist. They are at liberty invoice a reasonable administration fee for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge required by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of rights and obligations in relation to administration charges, without which the charge is technically not due. Reality however dictates that one has no choice but to pay whatever is demanded should you wish to sell the property.

Whitley Bay Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Does this lease have in excess of 80 years remaining? Is there a share of the freehold? It would be a good idea to discover if the the lease includes any adverse restrictions in the lease. For example it is fairly common in Whitley Bay leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Whitley Bay. If you like the flatin Whitley Bay but your dog can’t make the move with you then you will be faced difficult choice.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Whitley Bay