My aunt passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Barnet. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £5k. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Leeds Building Society, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
Given you intend to refinance then Leeds Building Society will require that you use a conveyancer on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Leeds Building Society mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
Do I find a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Barnet?
There are many registered licenced Conveyancers in Barnet and Solicitor firms in Barnet who can help with your conveyancing We would stress that both are supervised by regulatory bodies with both specialising in the legal aspects of the home buying process. They may both also conduct associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, lease extensions and transfer of equity conveyancing.
Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Barnet. Conveyancing is required. What are my next steps?
Now that you have to in every practical sense signed on the dotted line you must retain a conveyancing lawyer as a matter of priority as you now have a fast approaching a fixed date to complete the conveyancing. All auction property should have a bespoke legal set of papers. This will likely include evidence of title and search results. If you have purchased leasehold premises the auction papers may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork specific to a leasehold property. You must hand this to the lawyer instructed by you at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that your finances are in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.
HSBC have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a apartment in Barnet has been accepted, what are the next steps?
The property agent will want to be advised as to your solicitor's details (ensure that the property lawyers are on the lender’s panel). Telephone HSBC or the financial adviser and finalise any appropriate forms. HSBC will instruct a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or owners to book a slot for the valuation to happen. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes on average ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. HSBC will send the offer to you and your solicitors. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Barnet.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one round the corner in Barnet I like with open areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Barnet in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?
If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandmother I am disposing of a property in Cardiff but reside in Barnet. My conveyancer (based 260 miles awayrequires that I sign a statutory declaration ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Barnet to attest and place their company stamp on the document?
strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Barnet based
My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Barnet. Conveyancing and Barnsley Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing practitioner in Barnet who previously acted has now retired. What should I do?
First contact the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Barnet conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.
I am the registered owner of a second floor flat in Barnet. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount due for a lease extension?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Barnet conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Barnet flat is Flat 2 2 Netherfield Road in April 2010. The Tribunale held that premium payable for a 90 year extension to the existing Lease should be £7,705. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 76 years.
Two months into a sale of a flat in Barnet. Conveyancing solicitors are doing their job but we are being charged an extortionate amount from the landlord. To date we have issued a cheque for £250 for a leasehold management pack and then a further £200 plus VAT for answers to questions raised by the buyers conveyancing practitioner.
Your property lawyer will not have any impact over the level of the bill for this information however the typical fee for the information for Barnet leasehold property is £350. For Barnet conveyancing transactions it is customary for the owner to cover the costs. The freeholder or their agents are under no statutory obligation to address such questions although many will agree to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices disproportionate to the work involved. Regretfully there is no statute that mandates capped fees for administrative tasks. Nor is there any statutory time limit by which they are obliged to supply answers.