I have recently realised that I have Seventy years unexpired on my flat in Newton Aycliffe. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

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 enable the lease to be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. For most situations a specialist should be useful to try and locate and to produce an expert document to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Newton Aycliffe.

Looking forward to sign contracts shortly on a garden flat in Newton Aycliffe. Conveyancing lawyers have said that they report fully next week. What should I be looking out for?

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

• The length of the lease term You should be advised as what happens when the lease expires, and aware of the importance of not letting the lease term falling below eighty years

Are pets allowed in the flat?

Whether the lease restricts you from subletting the flat, or having a home office for business

Ground rent - how much and when you need to pay, and also know whether this will change in the future

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 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 Newton Aycliffe please enquire of your solicitor in ahead of your conveyancing in Newton Aycliffe

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Newton Aycliffe. Conveyancing and Santander mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Newton Aycliffe who acted for me is not around.Any advice?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. There is no need to instruct a Newton Aycliffe conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. 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 am looking at a couple of maisonettes in Newton Aycliffe which have about forty five years remaining on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

A lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the property for a period of time. As the lease gets shorter the value of the lease deteriorate and it becomes more expensive to extend the lease. This is why it is advisable to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficult to sell a property with a short lease as mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on such properties. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We advise that you get professional help from a solicitor and surveyor with experience in this arena

If all goes to plan we aim to complete the disposal of our £425000 maisonette in Newton Aycliffe in seven days. The landlords agents has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Newton Aycliffe?

Newton Aycliffe conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually results in administration charges raised by landlords agents :

• Completing conveyancing due diligence enquiries
• Where consent is required before sale in Newton Aycliffe
• Supplying insurance information
• Deeds of covenant upon sale
• Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Newton Aycliffe leasehold premises is £350. For Newton Aycliffe conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide the information.

Newton Aycliffe Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

You should be aware if it is fewer than 80 years it will impact the value of the flat. It is worth checking with your lender that they are content with the length of the lease. A short lease means that you will most likely require a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the residence for 24 months in order to be eligible to exercise a lease extension. What prohibitions exist in the Newton Aycliffe Lease? Who are the managing agents?

Other Topics

Lease Extensions in Newton Aycliffe