Completed the sale of my flat in New Romney last December yet the purchaser is Skype messaging every few hours to say their conveyancer needs to hear from mine. What should my lawyer have done following completion?
Following your house sale your conveyancer is committed to deliver the transfer deeds and all additional paperwork to the purchaser's solicitors. Depending on the transaction, your lawyer must also confirm that the mortgage has been paid off to the purchasers lawyers. There is unlikely to be post completion tasks specific conveyancing in New Romney.
My husband and I wish to acquire a newly converted apartment in New Romney with a residential mortgage from Godiva Mortgages Ltd.We like our New Romney conveyancing lawyer but Godiva Mortgages Ltd advised that he's not listed on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct a Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel firm or retain our preferred solicitor and fork out for a Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel lawyer to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors needs to be on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd approved list. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Godiva Mortgages Ltd
Is it the case that all New Romney solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the SRA. The majority of lenders do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such practice would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
How can we know in advance if a New Romney conveyancing solicitor on the Clydesdale panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in New Romney seeking recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your conveyancing.
Nationwide have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on a flat in New Romney has been accepted, what are the next steps?
The property agent will wish to know who your solicitors are (make sure the lawyers are on the bank’s approved list). Contact Nationwide or the financial adviser and finish off any appropriate paperwork. Nationwide will appoint a valuer who will get in contact with the estate agent or vendor to schedule an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes approximately a fortnight for the mortgage offer to be issued. Nationwide will issue the offer to you and your solicitors. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in New Romney.
The deeds to my property are lost. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in New Romney 10 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?
As long as the title is registered the details of your proprietorship will be held by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is possible to execute a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and secure current copies of the property title for less than a fiver. Where the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for twenty pounds.
Last June I purchased a leasehold property in New Romney. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
In a situation 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. However, 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).
I acquired a ground floor flat in New Romney, conveyancing having been completed May 2005. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding flats in New Romney with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2086
You have 62 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to be between £17,100 and £19,800 as well as professional fees.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.