Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Torfaen costs more?
Torfaen leasehold conveyancing transactions usually involve additional investigations than freeholds including investigating the Lease, liaising with the Landlord such as serving applicable notices on the Landlord or managing agent, obtaining up-to-date service charge and management information, obtaining Landlord’s consents and reviewing management accounts and formation documents.
My lender has recommended a law firm on their panel based in Torfaen but I would rather use a conveyancing lawyer in Torfaen local to me. Can you assist?
Not all Torfaen conveyancing practitioners are listed all banks conveyancing panel. Do make the most of the above search tool to choose a Torfaen conveyancing firm on the on the bank panel.
I am assisting my niece sell her flat in Torfaen. Will the conveyancer order an EPC or it is for the owner to coordinate?
Following the abolition of HIPs, EPC’s was left as a required component of moving house. An energy performance certificate must be commissioned prior to the property being put on the market. This is not as aspect of the sale process that law firms normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Torfaen conveyancing practitioner they may be willing to arrange energy assessments due to their contacts with reputable local energy assessors
We previously chose conveyancing lawyers located in Torfaen on the UBS solicitor approved list. They are now charging me an additional amount for handling the UBS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by UBS?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your lawyer may charge a fee for this. The charge is not set by UBS but by your Torfaen conveyancer. Some firms on the UBS panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
I have paid off my mortgage with Leeds Building Society. I assume I don't need a Torfaen solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Leeds Building Society mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Leeds Building Society mortgage from the register. Leeds Building Society, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Leeds Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Leeds Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Me and my brother own a renovated Edwardian property in Torfaen. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and TSB. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You should review 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 Torfaen and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
My partner and I have an offer in principle from Leeds Building Society who suggested we could borrow up to £300k. When do I need to instruct a lawyer for conveyancing? Torfaen is where we plan to move to.
It would be wise to instruct a property lawyer now requesting that they generate a file for you. This will enable: 1) the selling agent to issue a Sales Memo to the relevant parties 2) the seller’s property lawyer to send out the draft paperwork. However, do not ask your property lawyer to start searches until you have your valuation report via Leeds Building Society and you are content to proceed.