Having been referred to your company we were going to appoint conveyancing solicitor in Berkhamsted listed by you but stumbled across some other costs illustrations on the internet appear cheaper – how come?
You can find plenty of firms promoting pretending to offer cheap conveyancing, but additionalcharges end up with the final invoice totally different to the one you expected. Solicitors ought to ensure fees contained in terms and conditions should be honest and reasonable invoiced The law firms that we list for conveyancing in Berkhamsted genuinely set out all legal fees for the property you plan topurchase.
Is it the case that all Berkhamsted solicitor firms on the Nottingham conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Nottingham approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We had instructed conveyancing lawyers based in Berkhamsted on the Leeds Building Society solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me a separate charge for handling the Leeds Building Society mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Leeds Building Society?
Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your lawyer is entitled to charge a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Leeds Building Society but by your Berkhamsted conveyancing practitioner. Some firms on the Leeds Building Society panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in February 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Coventry BS are being a right pain. The Berkhamsted solicitor who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Coventry BS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Coventry BS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Coventry BS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Coventry BS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
Will my lawyer be asking questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Berkhamsted.
Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers carrying out conveyancing in Berkhamsted. Plenty of people will buy a house in Berkhamsted, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that may be undertaken by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Berkhamsted. The conventional set of property information forms supplied to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a standard question of the seller to determine if the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the owner, then a purchaser could issue a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect reply. A purchaser’s lawyers will also commission an enviro search. This should reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be made.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Berkhamsted is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Berkhamsted are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Berkhamsted you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Berkhamsted may decide 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 residence.
As co-executor for the will of my father I am selling a property in Monmouth but reside in Berkhamsted. My solicitor (approximately 235 miles from merequires that I sign a statutory declaration before the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing practitioner in Berkhamsted to witness and place their company stamp on the document?
Technically speaking you should not need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in Berkhamsted
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Berkhamsted. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
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. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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).
I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Berkhamsted, conveyancing formalities finalised 4 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Berkhamsted with over 90 years remaining are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2092
With just 67 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £10,500 and £12,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.