I am progressing with the sale of my house in Cudham and the estate agent has just e-mailed to warn that the buyers are appointing a new conveyancer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named mortgage company only work with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Cudham ?
Banks have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for over 25 years.
Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
I am the registered owner of a freehold residence in Cudham but nevertheless charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Cudham and has limited impact for conveyancing in Cudham but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of new rentcharges post 1977.
Previous rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
My wife and I purchased a semi-detached Georgian house in Cudham. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Clydesdale. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should review 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Cudham and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and found one close by in Cudham I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Cudham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease will be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
What tools are available to locate a Cudham law firm on the Barnsley Building Society conveyancing panel? I have a car and am prepared to travel upto 25miles to meet the lawyer.
You can use the tool on this website. Please pick a lender and your location and you will see a number of Cudham conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Cudham conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to verify if they are on the Barnsley Building Society approved list
I've found a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have subsequently been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in Cudham. Conveyancing lawyers have are about to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?
The majority of houses in Cudham are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in Cudham so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Cudham conveyancing practitioner and check that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a lessee you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a service charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will appraise you on the various issues.
I am the proprietor of a ground floor flat in Cudham. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for a lease extension?
in cases where there is a missing freeholder or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Cudham residence is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 50.57 years.
