I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it all the more appealing. I have just discovered that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Havering-atte-Bower. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Havering-atte-Bower ?

Most houses in Havering-atte-Bower are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Havering-atte-Bower so you should seriously consider looking for a Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example obtaining the freeholder’sconsent to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your lawyer will appraise you on the various issues.

Back In 2004, I bought a leasehold house in Havering-atte-Bower. Conveyancing and Virgin Money mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing solicitor in Havering-atte-Bower who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First contact HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the legitimate 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 finding a Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you talk with two or three firms including non Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

• How many lease extensions have they completed in Havering-atte-Bower in the last 12 months?
• Can they put you in touch with client in Havering-atte-Bower who can give a testimonial?

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Havering-atte-Bower from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Havering-atte-Bower can be reduced if you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers representatives.
• If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Havering-atte-Bower leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or laying down wooden flooring require a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. If you dont have the paperwork in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.
• If you have had any disputes with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay 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 will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic as opposed to unsettled.
• If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should ensure that you have the original share certificate. Organising a new share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a Havering-atte-Bower home move. Where a new share certificate is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if relevant) for this sooner rather than later.
• You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to double-check by asking your solicitors. A buyer’s lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the lease term is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your property on the market for sale.

Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £ 375000 maisonette in Havering-atte-Bower in 8 days. The management company has quoted £<Macro 'feeRangeWithVAT'> for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Havering-atte-Bower?

Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes nine out of ten times involves fees being levied by managing agents :

• Completing pre-contract questions
• Where consent is required before sale in Havering-atte-Bower
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Havering-atte-Bower leasehold premises is £350. For Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are obliged to provide the information.

Notwithstanding our best efforts, we have been unsuccessful in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Havering-atte-Bower. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Havering-atte-Bower conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Havering-atte-Bower residence is 37 Lodge Court High Street in November 2013. the decision of the LVT was that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £25,559 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The the unexpired term as at the valuation date was 57.5 years.

I am the registered owner of a split level flat in Havering-atte-Bower, conveyancing having been completed 6 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Comparable properties in Havering-atte-Bower with an extended lease are worth £252,000. The ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 2088

You have 62 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £20,900 and £24,200 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.