Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Sydenham Hill:

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Any conveyancing solicitor can theoretically handle your leasehold conveyancing in Sydenham Hill, your mortgage provider may unwilling to work with them if the firm are not on their list of approved solicitors for conveyancing

Sample questions relating to Sydenham Hill leasehold conveyancing

There are only 62 years unexpired on my lease in Sydenham Hill. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, 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 lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. On the whole an enquiry agent should be useful to carry out a search and prepare an expert document which can be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Sydenham Hill.

Due to complete next month on a studio apartment in Sydenham Hill. Conveyancing solicitors inform me that they are sending me a report on Monday. What should I be looking out for?

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

  • You should be sent a copy of the lease
  • Does the lease require carpeting throughout thus preventing wood flooring?
  • Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat?
  • Changes to the flat (alterations and additions)
  • I don't know whether the lease allows me to alter or improve anything in the flat - you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required
  • What you can do if a neighbour breach a clause of their lease?
  • What the implications are if you breach a clause of your lease? For a comprehensive list of information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Sydenham Hill please enquire of your conveyancer in advance of your conveyancing in Sydenham Hill

    • I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns buying a house with a leasehold title in Sydenham Hill. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the risks of buying a leasehold house in Sydenham Hill ?

    Most houses in Sydenham Hill are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. We note that you are buying in Sydenham Hill in which case you should be looking for a Sydenham Hill conveyancing solicitor and check that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out alterations. You may also be required to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.

    I am tempted by the attractive purchase price for a two apartments in Sydenham Hill both have approximately forty five years remaining on the leases. Do I need to be concerned?

    There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Sydenham Hill is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the property. For most purchasers and lenders, leases with less than 75 years become less and less marketable. On a more upbeat note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of premises with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Sydenham Hill conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

    Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Sydenham Hill from the point of view of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Sydenham Hill can be bypassed where you instruct lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold information needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
    • The majority landlords or managing agents in Sydenham Hill charge for providing management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Sydenham Hill.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Sydenham Hill state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you fail to have the consents in place do not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer in advance.
  • If there is a history of 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 a current dispute. You may need to swallow your pride and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to 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 present the dispute as historic rather than unsettled.
  • If you are supposed to have a share in the Management Company, you should make sure that you have the original share document. Obtaining a duplicate share certificate is often a time consuming formality and delays many a Sydenham Hill conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share certificate is required, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this sooner rather than later.

    • I have given up trying to purchase the freehold in Sydenham Hill. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

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

    An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Sydenham Hill property is Flat 1 4 Border Crescent in March 2012. the Tribunal decided that the sum payable by the Applicants to the Respondent in respect of the new lease for the subject property should be £11,616.00 (ElevenThousand and Six Hundred and Sixteen Pounds) This case related to 1 flat. The the number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 72.04 years.