I am assisting my sister sell her house in Folkestone. Does the conveyancing solicitor commission an energy performance certificate or it is for the owner to coordinate?
After the abolition of HIPs, energy assessments was retained a compulsory part of selling a house. An energy assessment needs to be to hand in advance of the property being advertised. This is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers normally arrange. Where you are using a Folkestone conveyancing practitioner they may be willing to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with reputable Folkestone energy assessors
Is it the case that all Folkestone conveyancing solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Lloyds approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the SRA. The majority of lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be governed by the CLC.
Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Leeds Building Society. Folkestone conveyancing solicitors have been instructed. How long does it take for Leeds Building Society to issue the offer to the property lawyer?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Leeds Building Society done the survey? Have you informed Leeds Building Society as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I have been told that property searches are the main cause of stalling in Folkestone conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Searches are not likely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Folkestone.
Me and my brother purchased a renovated Georgian house in Folkestone. Conveyancing solicitor 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, another for leasehold with the exact same address. Is it worth asking Britannia to clarify?
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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Folkestone and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.
I am selling my house. My former lawyers closed down. It would be helpful to have a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Folkestone if that affects matters.
Please use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Folkestone. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with regulated solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move runs with a minimum of fuss.
I have been sourcing a conveyancing lawyer in Folkestone for my home move. Is there any facility to see a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?
Anyone can review published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from inquisitions commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes monitor call for training purposes.
I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Folkestone. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
The sensible thing to do is pay the invoice as you normally would given that all ground rent and service invoices will be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
I inherited a studio flat in Folkestone, conveyancing formalities finalised October 2009. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent flats in Folkestone with a long lease are worth £201,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2087
You have 65 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £13,300 and £15,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.