The Howden conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my purchase in Howden have without warning closed. They were on acting for me because I needed a firm on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel and my preferred Howden lawyer was not. I paid them 275 plus VAT in advance. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them 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 will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Clydesdale 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 should be in a position to assist.
How does conveyancing in Howden differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Howden come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Howden tend to acquire the land, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Howden or who has acted in the same development.
I decided to have a survey carried out on a house in Howden prior to appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor has said that some banks tend not give a loan on a flying freehold property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you contact us we can look into this further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Howden. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Howden to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
I'm remortgaging my existing property to a BTL mortgage with Lloyds TSB Bank and I will use the rest of the raised equity as a down payment on further property. The location we are interested in is Howden. Will your conveyancers be able to act for both sets of mortgage companies and link together the transactions?
Do use our comparison tool on this page to ensure that the solicitors are approved by both mortgage companies. On the basis that they are the solicitor should be able to simultaneously deal with the two transactions but you should have a chat with you solicitor and specify your desired outcome and needs.
What advice can you give us when it comes to choosing a Howden conveyancing practice to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Howden conveyancing practice) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you talk with two or three firms including non Howden conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions could be useful:
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If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
Howden Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing
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You will want to find out as much as you can concerning the company managing the building as they can either make living at the property much easier or uncomfortable. Being a leasehold owner you are often in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues such as the upkeep of the common parts. Enquire of other people if they are happy with them. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the appropriate party and precisely what you get for your money. How is the lease structured? Be sure to discover if there are any onerous prohibitions in the lease. For instance it is fairly common in Howden leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Howden. If you love the apartmentin Howden but your dog is not allowed to move with you then you will be faced hard determination.
I pay a maintenance contribution for my appartment in Howden. Due to losing my job and personal issues I fell into arrears with payments. I negotiated a settlement schedule but there remains around £2000 outstanding as of today.
I am under pressure to dispose of the property and I am nervous that this can hold me back if I have to discharge the arrears in advance. Do I have to settle before - is this achievable?
Your conveyancing practitioner should be able to negotiate with the management company, with a new to seeing if they would accept payment out of the completion monies. Here is an example of why it might be good to select a conveyancer in Howden as they are likely to have an open line of communication with the management company.