I am being advised by my solicitor that absentee landlord insurance is required on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Oval?

The appropriate level of absentee landlord indemnity insurance should be dictated by who your lender. It would differ for example between National Westminster Bank and Virgin Money. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

We previously instructed solicitors locally in Oval on the TSB solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me a supplemental charge for dealing with the TSB mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by TSB?

Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner may charge a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by TSB but by your Oval conveyancing practitioner. Some firms on the TSB panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Oval. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an upfront payment of £150. A few days later, the conveyancer called me to say that they were not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Co-operative panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Oval?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Oval. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

How does conveyancing in Oval differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Oval approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is built. This is because house builders in Oval tend to purchase the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Oval or who has acted in the same development.

What does commercial conveyancing in Oval cover?

Non domestic conveyancing in Oval incorporates a wide range of services, supplied by regulated solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the transfer of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of tenancies.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Oval. 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. It is an essential part 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).

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can one apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Oval conveyancing firm to represent me?

Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Oval conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Oval property is Ground Floor Flat 39 Bronsart Road in May 2010. Following a vesting order by West London County Court the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal concluded that the price to be paid for the extended lease of the premises was Thirteen Thousand Two hundred pounds (£13,200) in accordance with the valuation. The extended lease was granted for a term of 90 years from the expiry date of the Lease and at a peppercorn ground rent from the date of the vesting order. This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 74.77 years.