It is 10 years ago since I purchased my property in Chester. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I am unable to locate the deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be kept by your lender or they could be archived with the solicitor who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Chester relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it is more of a problem but is not insurmountable.
Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a searchable register to to identify firms on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel for example in Chester?
We have not been informed any plans on the part of the BSA to promote such a tool.
I am helping my step-mother sell her flat in Chester. Does the solicitor commission the energy performance certificate or do I organise this?
After the demise of Home Information Packs, energy assessments was maintained a mandatory part of moving property. An energy assessment must be commissioned in advance of the property being marketed. This is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers ordinarily arrange. Where you are using a Chester conveyancing solicitor they may be willing to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable Chester providers
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Chester. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
My offer was accepted on a house in Chester on 30/1/2023, valuation was booked 2 days after, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to TSB and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the TSB conveyancing panel. Are TSB entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for TSB to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the TSB conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Chester. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.
Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Chester
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Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified.
I am using a search engine for the words cheap conveyancing in Chester it brings up numerous solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the right property lawyer for the sale of my house?
The best method of seeking the right conveyancer is through a trusted recommendation, so enquire of friends and relatives who have bought a property in Chester or the respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Chester vary, so it's advisable to obtain at least four estimates from different solicitors. Dont forget to clarify that the charges are assured not to increase.
I own a leasehold flat in Chester. Conveyancing was finished in five years ago. I have read on numerous consumer forums that I mustn’t let the the remaining lease term to get too low. Is this right?
Chester domestic long term leases are for a prescribed term - often ninety nine years when they started. However many appartments in Chester were constructed or converted 30 or more years ago and so such leases now have under eighty years unexpired. That may sound like plenty of time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage companies generally need leases to have at least 75 years remaining to be mortgageable. This means that when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are nearing seventy five years. To optimize your property value you should be considering whether to extend your lease long before you come to sell it. Furthermore advantages to taking action before the lease reaches even eighty years as when the lease falls below eighty years the amount to be paid to extend starts to get a lot more expensive.