Leasehold Conveyancing in Slade Green - Get a Quote from the leasehold experts approved by your lender

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When it comes to leasehold conveyancing in Slade Green, you will need to chose a conveyancing solicitor with leasehold experience. Whether your lender is to be Santander, Yorkshire Building Society or Bradford & Bingley be sure to choose a lawyer on their approved list. Feel free to use our search tool

Questions and Answers: Slade Green leasehold conveyancing

I’m about to sell my garden flat in Slade Green.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just had a quarterly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?

It best that you clear the service charge 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 unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

Back In 2002, I bought a leasehold flat in Slade Green. Conveyancing and Bank of Ireland mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing practitioner in Slade Green who previously acted has now retired.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Slade Green conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Slade Green. Am I liable to pay 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. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part 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).

What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Slade Green conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Slade Green conveyancing firm) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you speak with two or three firms including non Slade Green conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions could be of use:

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

    • Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Slade Green from the perspective of expediting the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Slade Green can be avoided where you appoint lawyers as soon as you market your property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
    • In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Slade Green leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or laying down wooden flooring require a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such works. Should you fail to have the paperwork to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer in advance.
  • Some Slade Green leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
  • If you hold a share in a the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a new share certificate can be a time consuming process and slows down many a Slade Green conveyancing transaction. Where a duplicate share certificate is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where applicable) for this at the earliest opportunity.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should double-check by asking your conveyancers. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your home on the market for sale.

    • We have reached the end of our tether in trying to purchase the freehold in Slade Green. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

    Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the amount due.

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Slade Green residence is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case was in relation to 13 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 76 years.

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    Lease Extensions in Slade Green