The Lancaster conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Lancaster have suddenly closed. I only went with them because I had to have a firm on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and my previous Lancaster lawyer was not. I wrote them a cheque for two hundred pounds in advance. What should be my next steps?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know 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 Kent Reliance 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 lawyers may be able to help.
I am helping my aunt sell her property in Lancaster. Does the solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or should I organise this?
After the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s was kept a compulsory part of selling a house. An EPC must be to hand before the property is advertised. It is not a task that law firms ordinarily organise. Where you are instructing a Lancaster conveyancing practitioner they may be able to arrange energy assessments given their relationships with long established local accredited person
I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Lloyds. Lancaster conveyancing solicitors are chosen. How long does it take for Lloyds to send the offer to the lawyer?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Lloyds completed the valuation? Have you advised Lloyds as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
My wife and I are at the point of viewing houses in Lancaster and I am about to put in an offer. Is it sensible to have my lawyer on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a mortgage with Skipton.
You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the estate agent. As you are seeking a mortgage with Skipton, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel.
I got the keys to my flat on 4 May and my personal details is not yet on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Lancaster advises it will be recorded inside ten days. Are titles in Lancaster uniquely lengthy to register?
There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Lancaster registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can vary subject to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry need to notify any third persons or bodies. As of today in the region of 80% of such applications are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Historically registration is effected after the new owner has moved in to the premises therefore registration formalities is not typically top priority yet if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer should contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Lancaster I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it's only got 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Lancaster in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
If you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be an issue. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.
Given that I will soon part with £400,000 on 3 bedroom house in Lancaster I would like to have a conversation with the solicitor about myhome move before appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
Absolutely - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the solicitor due to be doing your property ownership legalities in Lancaster.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique individual, not a case number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for your conveyancing in Lancaster should be the figure that you end up paying.
Completion is due on the sale of our £350,000 flat in Lancaster in six days. The management company has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Lancaster?
For the majority of leasehold sales in Lancaster conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :
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Completing pre-exchange enquiries
Where consent is required before sale in Lancaster
Copies of the building insurance and schedule
Deeds of covenant upon sale
Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale
I invested in buying a ground floor flat in Lancaster, conveyancing having been completed in 2001. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Lancaster with over 90 years remaining are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2098
With just 73 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus legals.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.