Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Duxford. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Duxford - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details 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.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 72 years remaining on my lease in Duxford. I need to get lease extension but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?

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 an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have used your best endeavours to track down the landlord. In some cases an enquiry agent should be useful to carry out a search and prepare a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to investigating the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Duxford.

Back In 2006, I bought a leasehold house in Duxford. Conveyancing and Bank of Ireland mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Duxford who previously acted has now retired.What should I do?

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 in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Duxford conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I am attracted to a couple of maisonettes in Duxford which have in the region of forty five years unexpired on the leases. should I be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the marketability 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. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage lenders may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you get professional assistance from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena

Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Duxford conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Duxford conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggested that you talk with several firms including non Duxford 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 helpful:

• If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?

Leasehold Conveyancing in Duxford - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

You will want to discover as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will either make your life much easier or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily matters such as the upkeep of the common parts. Ask other people what they think of them. On a final note, be sure you understand the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the managing agents and specifically what it includes. On the whole the cost for major works are not included within service charges, albeit that some managing agents in Duxford require tenants to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Is there a share of the freehold?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Duxford