Will lawyers ask for money on account for conveyancing in Calne?

If you are buying a property in Calne your lawyer will request that you to provide them with monies to cover the search fees. Ordinarily this is needed to cover the fees of the Local Authority Search. If any down payment is payable against the purchase price then this will be required shortly prior to contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is needed should be transferred a couple of days prior to the completion date.

I am purchasing a property in Calne. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Nottingham be concerned?

Given that your lender is Nottingham your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Nottingham. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum provisions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Nottingham where a lease fails to comply with these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Calne.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Calne. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

It is unclear whether my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Calne bank branch on a couple of occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My Calne conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Your solicitor must comply with the CML Handbook section two requirements for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

Will our lawyer be raising enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in Calne.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers carrying out conveyancing in Calne. There are those who purchase a house in Calne, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that can be initiated by the purchaser or by their solicitors which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Calne. The standard property information forms given to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a standard question of the seller to find out whether the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the owner, then a buyer may issue a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect response. The buyer’s lawyers should also conduct an enviro report. This will reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be made.

I own a renovated Victorian house in Calne. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Platform Home Loans Ltd. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Calne and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the position with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.

Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Calne conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?

If you are instructing a conveyancer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Calne conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you make enquires with several firms including non Calne conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be of use:

What are the costs for lease extension work? How familiar is the firm with lease extension legislation?

I own a 1st floor flat in Calne, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Calne with a long lease are worth £260,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2098

With only 74 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £8,600 and £9,800 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.