The Highcliffe conveyancing firm that I recently instructed on my purchase in Highcliffe have without warning shut down. I only went with them because I had to have a solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel and my family Highcliffe lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist.
The deeds to our property are lost. The conveyancers who handled the conveyancing in Highcliffe 10 years ago have long since closed. What do I do?
These day there are copies made of almost everything, and your solicitor should be aware precisely where to find all the relevant paperwork so you may purchase or dispose of your house without a hitch. Where duplicates are not available, your solicitor may be able to put in place insurance or indemnities against future claims on the premises.
How does conveyancing in Highcliffe differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Highcliffe come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because developers in Highcliffe typically buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Highcliffe or who has acted in the same development.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Highcliffe I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 61 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Highcliffe for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
If you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.
Should I go with a Highcliffe conveyancing practitioner based in the location that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can perform the legal work however his firm is located 300miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a high street Highcliffe conveyancing firm is that you can drop in to sign documents, present your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust instructed your friend and in the main were happy that must outweigh using an unknown Highcliffe conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being based in the area.
How up-to-date is your database of lawyers on the bank conveyancing panel in Highcliffe? Do the mortgage companies send you an updated list?
Highcliffe firms and firms conducting conveyancing in Highcliffe themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the bank conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from the lender directly.