My partner and I are looking to purchase a house in Blackfen and have appointed a Blackfen conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Platform Home Loans Ltd have this evening contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Blackfen conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Blackfen solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
My brother and I have just acquired a house in Blackfen. We have noticed several issues with the house which we believe were overlooked in the conveyancing searches. What action can we take? Can you clarify the type of searches that needed to have been conducted for conveyancing in Blackfen?
The query is vague as to the nature of the problems and if they are specific to conveyancing in Blackfen. Conveyancing searches and due diligence initiated as part of the legal transfer of property are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller completes a form referred to as a SPIF. answers proves to be inaccurate, you may have a misrepresentation claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Blackfen.
Have completed on a a terraced house in Blackfen , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to register my ownership? My Blackfen conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be certain the registration is dealt with.
There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Blackfen registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can differ depending on the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any 3rd persons or bodies. Currently roughly three quarters of such applications are completed within two weeks but some can be subject to protracted hold-ups. Historically registration takes place once the new owner has moved in to the premises thus an expedited registration is not typically primary concern yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Blackfen before retaining conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor has said that some lenders tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold property.
It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can investigate further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Blackfen. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Blackfen. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?
In a situation 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. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part 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 have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can one apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Blackfen conveyancing firm to assist?
if there is a missing freeholder or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to calculate the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Blackfen premises is 103a Footscray Road in January 2014. The tribunal determines that the premium payable for the extended lease should be £34,500 according to the expert witness valuation calculation This case affected 1 flat.
Our offer on semi in Blackfen was accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have put an offer on on an apartment, but it’s not yet tied up, and are looking at other flats booked. I have instructed a local conveyancing solicitor in Blackfen. What do I do now? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Skipton?
It is understandable to have anxieties where there is an associated chain given your reluctance to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Blackfen conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Regarding the next phase this very much depends on the circumstances of your transaction, desire for this property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market some buyers will apply for a home loan with Skipton and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Blackfen.
