My aunt passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Knightsbridge. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £8000. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Leeds Building Society, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
If you plan to re-mortgage then Leeds Building Society will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Leeds Building Society mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I am assisting my mother sell her property in Knightsbridge. Does the solicitor order the EPC or it is for the seller to coordinate?
After the demise of HIPs, EPC’s was maintained a compulsory component of selling a property. An EPC must be to hand before the property is put on the market. This is not a task that solicitors ordinarily arrange. If you are instructing a Knightsbridge conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with reputable Knightsbridge providers
I am planning to move property in May. Will my conveyancing solicitor call the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you recommend a removal company in Knightsbridge. Conveyancing lawyer was found prior to coming across this site.
On the afternoon of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from the property agent but this can only happen once the vendors conveyancers confirm to the agent that the monies to complete are in and the keys can be collected. Subsequently you will need to advise the removal company that they can start moving you in. We do not suggest a particular removal company but can assist you in choosing a conveyancing in Knightsbridge or a solicitor that specialises in conveyancing in Knightsbridge.
We are getting a further advance on our home loan from Santander as we want to carry out a loft conversion to our property in Knightsbridge. Do we need to choose a nearby Knightsbridge solicitor on the Santander conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?
Santander don't usually appoint firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Santander conveyancing panel.
Should commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that may affect a commercial site in Knightsbridge?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Knightsbridge will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers spend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Knightsbridge. The report provides definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Knightsbridge.
For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Knightsbridge it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Knightsbridge commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Knightsbridge.
Have purchased a a semi-detached house in Knightsbridge , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to record my proprietorship? My Knightsbridge conveyancing solicitor has been painfully slow, so I want to check the land registry aspects are addressed.
There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Knightsbridge registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ subject to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry must send notices to any third parties. Currently in the region of 80% of such applications are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Historically registration takes place after the buyer has moved in to the premises therefore an expedited registration is not always top priority yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor should speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
I opted to have a survey done on a property in Knightsbridge in advance of instructing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. My surveyor advised that some mortgage companies tend not issue a mortgage on such a premises.
It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can look into this further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Knightsbridge. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Knightsbridge to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Knightsbridge with the intention of saving time on the sale process?
- A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Knightsbridge can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors. Some Knightsbridge leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, it would be prudent to notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers. If you have had any disputes with your landlord or managing agents it is very important that these are settled before the property is marketed. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the buyers, but it is clearly preferable to present the dispute as historic rather than unresolved. The majority of landlords or managing agents in Knightsbridge levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold home. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information sought on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The typical amount of time it takes to receive management information is three weeks. It is the most frequent cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Knightsbridge.
Following months of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Knightsbridge. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
if there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to decide the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Knightsbridge premises is Flat 3 47 Cadogan Square in December 2010. the Tribunal determined that the premium payable to the landord by the leaseholder for the lease extension was £732,935 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 13.33 years.