My father pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Beckenham there could be a number of restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external alterations to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of a number of properties in Beckenham which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Beckenham should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
My lawyer has informed me that restrictive coveneant insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Beckenham conveyancing?
The right level of restrictive coveneant indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Leeds Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.
Is there a list of Leeds Building Society panel solicitors in Beckenham on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such directory service on the CML or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of mortgage companies make their panel listings open the public online. If you are in need of a Beckenham conveyancer on the Leeds Building Society please make the most of our facility.
Various internet forums that I have frequented warn that are the main cause of obstruction in Beckenham conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the common causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Beckenham.
Me and my brother have a terraced Georgian house in Beckenham. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Britannia. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
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 Beckenham and other areas of 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 question the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Beckenham I like with a park and station in the vicinity, however it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Beckenham for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
If you need a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.
Is it best to appoint a Beckenham conveyancing lawyer based in the vicinity that I am hoping to buy? We have a good friend who can handle the conveyancing but her office is 300kilometers away.
The benefit of a local Beckenham conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign documents, deliver your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust used your friend and the majority were happy that should trump using an unfamiliar Beckenham conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Beckenham based.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Beckenham conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Beckenham conveyancing practice) it is essential that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you talk with two or three firms including non Beckenham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be helpful:
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How many lease extensions has the firm carried out in Beckenham in the last twenty four months? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
I am the registered owner of a first floor flat in Beckenham. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium payable for the purchase of the freehold?
Where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to assess the price payable.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Beckenham residence is 26 Manor Road in July 2010. the Tribunal decided that price to be paid for the freehold was £12,420 This case related to 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 76.75 and 88.83.