It is a dozen years since I acquired my property in Highgate. Conveyancing lawyers have now been instructed on the sale but I am unable to track down my deeds. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be kept by the lender or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Highgate involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
Please explain the implications if my solicitor is expelled from the UBS Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Highgate?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
This question may be naive but I am wet behind the ears as FTB of a garden flat in Highgate. Do I pick up the keys to the premises on completion from my solicitor? If so, I will instruct a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Highgate?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the owner’s lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be called to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. Usually this occurs early afternoon.
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in June 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, TSB are being problematic. The Highgate solicitor who is on the TSB conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but TSB are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do TSB have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that TSB have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why TSB may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
After what feels like an age I have had an offer on a flat in Highgate agreed to, but there is a chain. The owners have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. I have selected a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Highgate. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with HSBC going?
It is understandable to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Highgate conveyancing search charges, etc). The first thing to do is ensure that your lawyer is on the HSBC approved list. Regarding the subsequent phase this very much depends on the specifics of your case, attraction to the property and on the state of the market. During a rising market many purchasers would apply for the mortgage with HSBC and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.
What will a local search inform me about the house my wife and I buying in Highgate?
Highgate conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations such as Searches UK The local search is essential in every Highgate conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your new home. The search should supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject sections.
I own a renovated Victorian house in Highgate. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and HSBC Bank. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Highgate and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the work.
How do I use your search app to locate a conveyancing solicitor in Highgate on the panel for my mortgage?
1st select a lender such as Yorkshire Building Society, Chelsea Building Society or Britannia then choose your location a common one being Highgate. Conveyancing firms in Highgate and across England and Wales will then be identified.