In looking at consumer advice sites for a recommended lawyer in Miles Platting, most say that I should look for a CQS assured solicitor. What is CQS?
The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices issued by the Law Society. Membership achievement establishes a level of credibility for member firms with stakeholders (regulators, lenders, insurers and consumers) based upon: * the integrity of the senior responsible officer and other key conveyancing staff * the firm's adherence to good practice management standards * adherence to prudent and efficient conveyancing procedures through the scheme protocol the standard includes many firms who carry out conveyancing in Miles Platting.
A friend informed me that in buying a property in Miles Platting there may be various restrictions as to what one can do in terms of external changes to a property. Is this right?
There are a number of properties in Miles Platting which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Miles Platting should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
How can we know in advance if a Miles Platting conveyancing solicitor on the Skipton panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Miles Platting seeking recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction.
I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Miles Platting. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an advanced payment of £200. A couple of days later, the solicitor contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Lloyds conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Lloyds panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I am planning on selling our house in Miles Platting and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. Any local conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a factory type conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Miles Platting. Having lived in Miles Platting for six years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to get clarification that there is no issue.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same ailment)
How does conveyancing in Miles Platting differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Miles Platting come to us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because house builders in Miles Platting usually purchase 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Miles Platting or who has acted in the same development.
Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Miles Platting from the point of view of expediting the sale process?
- A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Miles Platting can be reduced where you instruct lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ solicitors. If there is a history of conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is very important that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may need to swallow your pride 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 are still duty bound to disclose details of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is better to present the dispute as over as opposed to unsettled. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Miles Platting leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord acquiescing to such changes. Should you dont have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without checking with your conveyancer before hand. A minority of Miles Platting leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the annual 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.
Miles Platting Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying
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How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Please note if it is no more than eighty years it will impact the marketability of the apartment. It is worth checking with your bank that they are happy with remaining years on the lease. Leases with fewer than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this will be. For most Miles Plattinglease extensions you will need to own the property for a couple of years before you are eligible to carry out a lease extension. You should want to find out as much as possible about the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily matters like the cleanliness of the communal areas. Don't be shy to ask other people what they think of them. Finally, find out the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and precisely what you get for your money.
Developers have put forward a conveyancing practitioner and I've received an estimate from them. They are almost three hundred pounds cheaper than my local Miles Platting conveyancer. Should I use them?
Builders frequently have lists of conveyancing practitioners who are quick and who know the builder's paperwork and property lawyer. As many developers offer an inducement to use their approved property lawyer for this reason, any increased fees can be avoided and a builder won't suggest a conveyancing factory and run the risk of having the conveyancing delayed when they want exchange in 28 days. The argument for not opting for the suggested conveyancer is that they may prove hesitant to 'push' your interests for fear of alienating the housebuilder. If you worry that this may be the case you should remain with your high street Miles Platting property lawyer.