I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a fairly new development (five years old) in Milton. The vast majority the properties are already occupied. Is it really necessary to order neighbourhood searches as part of conveyancing in Milton?
A big part of the Milton legal transfer of property is the conveyancing searches. There are a large number of search providers delivering Milton conveyancing searches, as well straight from the local authority. These are usually referred to as personal search companies and they produce, not surprisingly, personal searches. However, all Local Authority Search conveyancing products have one thing in common - they must secure their information from the local authoritative source.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Nationwide Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Milton?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. 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.
I'm spending time looking at apartments in Milton and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a lawyer in place at this stage? I intend to finance via a mortgage with Nottingham.
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the selling agent. As you are seeking a mortgage with Nottingham, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Milton. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Milton. My financial adviser suggested a conveyancer. I paid an advanced payment of £225. Shortly after, the conveyancer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Barclays 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 Barclays 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.
My brother has suggested that I instruct his lawyers for conveyancing in Milton. Should I use them?
Much as we are happy to recommend a Milton conveyancing lawyer the best way to find a conveyancing practitioner is to seek recommendations from friends or family who have actually previously instructed the solicitor you're are thinking of instructing.
I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Milton. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I acquired a 2 bed flat in Milton, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Milton with a long lease are worth £227,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease ceases on 21st October 2097
With just 72 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.
Whilst your website is a good idea there are many lawyers listed near Milton being on the lender conveyancing panel. Can you recommend a specific firm on the bank approved panel?
We do not recommend specific Milton firms as the right Milton conveyancing solicitor for you depends on where your priorities lie. For example you may require a local firm with Milton knowledge or you might be looking for the low cost conveyancing. We recommend that you speak to 3 or 4 lawyers listed before you make your choice..