Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in Roehampton. Before diving in I require certainty as to the unexpired term of the lease.

If the lease is registered - and almost all are in Roehampton - 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.

Expecting to complete next month on a studio apartment in Roehampton. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me within the next couple of days. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

Your report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Roehampton should include some of the following:

• The total extent of the demise. This will be the apartment itself but might include a loft or basement if appropriate.

I've found a house that seems to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just found out that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Roehampton. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been appointed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Roehampton ?

Most houses in Roehampton are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Roehampton in which case you should be looking for a Roehampton conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should appraise you on the various issues.

My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Roehampton. Conveyancing and Britannia mortgage went though with no issue. 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 1998. The conveyancing practitioner in Roehampton who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to incur the fees of a Roehampton conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Roehampton. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I am the leaseholder of a a ground floor purpose built flat in Roehampton. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount payable for a lease extension?

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

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Roehampton premises is 19 St. Margarets Crescent in August 2010. the tribunal was of the view that the premium to be paid by the leaseholder for the freehold reversion was £51,983.00 This case was in relation to 3 flats. The the unexpired residue of the current lease was 66.25 years.

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Roehampton