Fixed-fee leasehold conveyancing in Longhope:

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Frequently asked questions relating to Longhope leasehold conveyancing

There are only 72 years unexpired on my lease in Longhope. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If 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 mean that your lease can be extended by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to find the lessor. On the whole an enquiry agent would be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Longhope.

Planning to sign contracts shortly on a ground floor flat in Longhope. Conveyancing lawyers inform me that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Longhope should include some of the following:

  • You should receive a copy of the lease
  • Defining your rights in relation to common areas in the block.For instance, does the lease contain a right of way over a path or staircase?
  • You should be told what counts as a Nuisance in the lease
  • You should have a good understanding of the insurance provisions
  • 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
  • The landlord’s rights to access the flat you be made aware that your landlord has rights of access and I know how much notice s/he must provide.
  • The landlord’s obligations to repair and maintain the building. It is important that you know who is responsible for the repair and maintenance of every part of the building For details of the information to be included in your report on your leasehold property in Longhope please ask your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Longhope

    • I’m about to sell my ground floor flat in Longhope.Conveyancing has not commenced but I have just received a quarterly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

    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 management companies 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

    I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Longhope. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

    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. 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).

    What are your top tips when it comes to appointing a Longhope conveyancing firm to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

    If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Longhope conveyancing practice) it is essential that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We suggested that you speak with two or three firms including non Longhope conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. Some following of questions could be helpful:

    • If they are not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
  • How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Longhope in the last year?

    • I acquired a 2 bed flat in Longhope, conveyancing having been completed 6 years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Longhope with a long lease are worth £167,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease terminates on 21st October 2095

    With 70 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus costs.

    The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Longhope