Would the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend conduct auction conveyancing in South Acton?

There are a few auction practitioners we can put you in touch with those conducting auction conveyancing. South Acton is one of the many areas of where our lawyers cover.

Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the UBS Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in South Acton?

The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

How can we tell if a South Acton conveyancing solicitor on the Lloyds panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in South Acton obtaining 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 recommend that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction.

I have a mortgage with Lloyds for my property in South Acton. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Lloyds?

Lloyds must be informed of your intention before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Lloyds’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Lloyds directly. You need not do this via a Lloyds conveyancing panel firm.

After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in South Acton. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an advanced payment of £200. A few days later, the lawyer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Yorkshire BS 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 Yorkshire BS 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.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. South Acton is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in South Acton are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside South Acton you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in South Acton may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

Last June I purchased a leasehold flat in South Acton. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before 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 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).

Notwithstanding our best efforts, we have been unsuccessful in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in South Acton. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a South Acton conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a South Acton flat is 169 Southfield Road in September 2013. the tribunal decided that the premium to be paid in respect of the collective enfranchisement should be £51,203 This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 64.64 years.