Please help. My Halifax conveyancer is informing me me that he has toconduct Halifax conveyancing searches becausethe firm are on the Nat Westapproved lawyer panel. Do I not have any say here?

You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your solicitor has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your solicitor would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook requirements . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Halifax conveyancing searches.

My home in Halifax is up for sale and I have a purchaser. Will the property lawyer need to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their panel criteria fairly frequently in recent years.

I am looking for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Halifax I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Halifax in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you need a home loan that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.

Should I choose a Halifax conveyancing practitioner in close proximity to the house I am purchasing? An old friend can perform the legal formalities however his firm is located 300miles away.

The benefit of a high street Halifax conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to execute documents, present your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Halifax know how is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust instructed your friend and in the main were happy that should trump using an unfamiliar Halifax conveyancing lawyer just because they are based in the area.

I today plan to offer on a house that appears to meet my requirements, at a reasonable price which is making it all the more appealing. I have since found out that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Halifax. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in Halifax ?

The majority of houses in Halifax are freehold rather than leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can help the conveyancing process. We note that you are purchasing in Halifax in which case you should be looking for a Halifax conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to transacting on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. Being a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the landlord’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will advise you fully on all the issues.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Halifax - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

The answer will be useful as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where services remain unpaid b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to know about it Be sure to discover if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example it is reasonably common in Halifax leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Halifax. If you like the flatin Halifax however your cat can’t live with you then you will be faced difficult choice. Who are the managing agents?