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

Get a Quote

Need to find a solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Neston on your lender’s panel? Make use of our search tool to find quality local Neston conveyancing lawyers or national solicitors on your lender’s panel .

Neston leasehold conveyancing: Q and A’s

Back In 2009, I bought a leasehold flat in Neston. Conveyancing and TSB mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Neston who previously acted has now retired.Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Neston conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Last month I purchased a leasehold flat in Neston. 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 ensure 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 advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Neston conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Neston conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you make enquires with two or three firms including non Neston conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. Some following of questions might be helpful:

  • How experienced is the practice with lease extension legislation?
  • Can they put you in touch with client in Neston who can give a testimonial?

    • Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Neston from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?

    • A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Neston can be reduced if you instruct lawyers as soon as you market your property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ conveyancers.
    • The majority freeholders or Management Companies in Neston levy fees for supplying management packs for a leasehold homes. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought as soon as you have a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Neston.
  • If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s consent? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Neston state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord acquiescing to such works. Should you dont have the consents to hand you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor first.
  • A minority of Neston leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are 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 purchasers or their solicitors.
  • You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to verify this via your lawyers. A purchaser's lawyer will not be happy to advise their client to where the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore essential at an as soon as possible that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

    • We expect to complete our sale of a £150000 flat in Neston on Thursday in a week. The management company has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Neston?

    Neston conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates the buyer’s solicitor sending questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer these enquiries the majority will be content to do so. They are entitled levy a reasonable administration fee for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some transactions it exceeds £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a synopsis of rights and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the charge is not strictly payable. In reality one has no option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.

    Leasehold Conveyancing in Neston - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

      How many years remain on the lease? The answer will be helpful as a) areas can cause problems for the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where repairs are not paid for b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the managing agents you will want to have complete disclosure Generally speaking the outlay for major works are not included within maintenance charges, although a few managing agents in Neston ask leasehold owners to pay into a reserve fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for major repairs or maintenance.

    Other Topics

    Lease Extensions in Neston