Having sold my house in Hertfordshire last January yet the purchaser is e-mailing every few hours complaining that their lawyer is waiting to hear from mine. What should have happened now that I have sold?
Following your disposal your conveyancer is duty bound to forward the transfer documentation and all supplemental paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. Depending on the transaction, your lawyer should also confirm that the home loan has been discharged to the purchasers solicitors. There is unlikely to be post completion procedures specific conveyancing in Hertfordshire.
We expect to receive a AIP from Yorkshire BS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Yorkshire BS recommend any Hertfordshire solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Hertfordshire solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Yorkshire BS through the process.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Hertfordshire. I have a mortgage offer with Yorkshire BS. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Yorkshire BS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Hertfordshire. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £150. A few days later, the conveyancer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Kent Reliance panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
The deeds to my house can not be found. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Hertfordshire 4 years ago have long since closed. What are my options?
Assuming the title is registered the details of your ownership will be documented by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to conduct a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and get up to date copies of the property title for a small fee. Where the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for twenty pounds.
I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for purchase conveyancing in Hertfordshire. I happened to chance upon a site which seems to have the ideal answer If there is a chance to get all formalities completed via email that would be ideal. Do I need to be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?
Last April I purchased a leasehold house in Hertfordshire. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?
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. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).
Hertfordshire Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying
-
Is anyone aware of any major works in the near future that will increase the maintenance charges? It would be wise to find out as much as you can regarding the company managing the block as they can either make your living at the property much easier or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters such as the tidiness of the communal areas. Enquire of other tenants what they think of them. In conclusion, find out the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the relevant party and specifically what it includes.
I am hoping to buy a repression property in Hertfordshire and the bank selling would like to complete inside a month. Do solicitors complete in this timeframe? Would it be better to select a local Hertfordshire firm or an online company that advertises to complete quickly?
Visit your Hertfordshire high street. Go in to two or three solicitor’s offices and request to see a conveyancing solicitor for a quote. Set out your needs and try and obtain assurances on time frames. Appoint the one that seems most efficient. You need to choose a lawyer on the panel of conveyancing practitioners who can act for your bank.