My father advised me that in buying a property in Alston there could be various restrictions prohibiting external alterations to a property. Is this right?
There are a number of properties in Alston which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Alston should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I currently have a mortgage with Coventry BS for my property in Alston. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Coventry BS?
Coventry BS must be informed of your intention before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Coventry BS’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let 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 Coventry BS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Coventry BS conveyancing panel firm.
I can not work out if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Alston bank branch on various occasions and was reassured it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My Alston conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they would not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
As long as the lawyer is on the lender panel, she or he must comply with the CML Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
I own a semi-detached Edwardian property in Alston. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Virgin Money. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to assess 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 Alston and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.
How does conveyancing in Alston differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Alston contact us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is built. This is because builders in Alston usually acquire the site, 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 Alston or who has acted in the same development.
What does commercial conveyancing in Alston cover?
Alston conveyancing for business premises covers a broad range of services, offered by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. For instance, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, 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 leases.
My father-in-law has recommend that I use his conveyancing solicitors in Alston. Do I follow his recommendation?
No doubt the best way to choose a conveyancing lawyer is to seek feedback from friends or relatives who have actually experience in using the solicitor you're are thinking of instructing.
Our property lawyer in Alston is asking me for ID documents saying that this forms part of his retainer as a conveyancer on the bank Conveyancing panel. Can you confirm whether this is the case?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offence if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage, your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy the mortgage company. This is not unique to conveyancing in Alston