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Leasehold conveyancing in Hillingdon 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 Hillingdon and across next step up in loc. The lawyers we recommend have been approved by your lender so use our search tool to check.

Common questions relating to Hillingdon leasehold conveyancing

Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my garden apartment in Hillingdon.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?

It best that you 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.

I own a leasehold flat in Hillingdon. Conveyancing and Alliance & Leicester mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Hillingdon who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to incur the fees of a Hillingdon conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a couple of maisonettes in Hillingdon which have about forty five years remaining on the lease term. should I be concerned?

There are plenty of short leases in Hillingdon. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a prescribed time frame. As a lease shortens the saleability of the lease decreases and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. For this reason 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 because mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area

What advice can you give us when it comes to appointing a Hillingdon conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Hillingdon conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Hillingdon conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be of use:

  • If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Hillingdon who can give a testimonial?

    • Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Hillingdon from the point of view of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hillingdon can be avoided if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers representatives.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Hillingdon charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should find out the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Hillingdon.
  • Some Hillingdon leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors.
  • If there is a history of any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property 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 over as opposed to ongoing.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should ensure that you hold the original share document. Arranging a re-issued share certificate can be a lengthy formality and delays many a Hillingdon home move. Where a new share certificate is necessary, you should approach the company director and secretary or managing agents (where applicable) for this as soon as possible.

    • I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can one apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Hillingdon conveyancing firm to help?

    Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Hillingdon conveyancing firm who can help.

    An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Hillingdon flat is 164 Nestles Avenue in October 2013. The tribunal agreed with the proposed price of £20,158 for the freehold and determined that that sum is the amount to be paid into court This case related to 2 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 69 years.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Hillingdon