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Leasehold conveyancing in Colchester is more complex than freehold. Your home move will be smoother where you choose a lawyer with a wealth of experience of leasehold conveyancing in Colchester and across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Frequently asked questions relating to Colchester leasehold conveyancing

There are only Fifty years remaining on my lease in Colchester. I now want to extend my lease but my landlord is missing. What options are available to me?

If 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 magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent would be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Colchester.

Due to exchange soon on a garden flat in Colchester. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they report fully next week. What should I be looking out for?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Colchester should include some of the following:

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • Setting out your rights in respect of common areas in the block.For example, does the lease provide for a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • Whether your lease has a provision for a reserve fund?
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • Repair and maintenance of the flat
  • What options are open to you if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease? For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Colchester please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Colchester

    • Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden flat in Colchester.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?

    Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

    Back In 2006, I bought a leasehold house in Colchester. Conveyancing and TSB 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 1992. The conveyancing practitioner in Colchester who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

    The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Colchester 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 offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Colchester conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

    If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Colchester conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We recommend that you talk with several firms including non Colchester conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

    • What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Colchester in the last twenty four months?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Colchester who can give a testimonial?

    • Colchester Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

      Where a Colchester lease has no more than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the marketability of the apartment. Check with your bank that they are happy with the length of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the property for a couple of years before you are eligible to extend the lease. It is important to be aware if window replacement or some other major work is coming up that will be shared by the leasehold owners and may well materially impact the level of the service costs or necessitate a one off invoice. What prohibitions are there in the Colchester Lease?

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Colchester