Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Wythenshawe:

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Wythenshawe, you will need to chose a conveyancing practitioner with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Santander, Birmingham Midshires or NatWest make sure you choose a lawyer on their panel. Feel free to use our search tool

Wythenshawe leasehold conveyancing Example Support Desk Enquiries

I have recently realised that I have Fifty years left on my lease in Wythenshawe. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. 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 submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the lessor. For most situations an enquiry agent should be helpful to carry out a search and to produce an expert document to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Wythenshawe.

I’m about to sell my 2 bed apartment in Wythenshawe.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a half-yearly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

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 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I own a leasehold flat in Wythenshawe. Conveyancing and Lloyds TSB Bank 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 ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Wythenshawe who previously acted has long since retired.Any advice?

First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Wythenshawe conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. 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.

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Wythenshawe conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Wythenshawe conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with several firms including non Wythenshawe conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be useful:

  • How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • How many lease extensions have they completed in Wythenshawe in the last year?

    • Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Wythenshawe from the perspective of speeding up the sale process?

    • Much of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Wythenshawe can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers lawyers.
    • Many freeholders or managing agents in Wythenshawe levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management pack can be applied for as soon as you have 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 Wythenshawe.
  • Some Wythenshawe leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any 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 settled prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You are still duty bound to disclose particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
  • You believe that you know the number of years left on your lease but you should verify this by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • Wythenshawe Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying

      This question is important as a) areas could cause problems in the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will wish to have full disclosure In the main the outlay for major works are not wrapped into the service charges, although some managing agents in Wythenshawe ask leaseholders to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Is the freehold reversion owned collectively by the tenants?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Wythenshawe