It is a dozen years since I purchased my house in North End. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I can't track down my title deeds. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your lender or they may stored with the solicitor who acted in the purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in North End relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
I have been recommended a conveyancing solicitor in North End. I need to find out if they are accepted on the The Mortgage Works approved list of lawyers. Could you help?
The first thing you should do is e-mail the lawyer and ask them whether they are on the lender panel. Otherwise you can get in touch with The Mortgage Works who may be able to assist.
My wife and I own a 4 bedroom Victorian house in North End. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and TSB. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. Is it worth asking TSB to clarify?
You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in North End and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.
I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in North End for my sale. Is it possible to see a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
Anyone can search for presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could monitor telephone calls for training purposes.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a North End conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
When appointing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a North End conveyancing firm) 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 North End conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be of use:
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What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in North End in the last 12 months? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then what is the reason?
My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to purchase the freehold in North End. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the LVT to assess the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a North End residence is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case related to 13 flats. The unexpired lease term was 76 years.
My husband and I are purchasing a three bedroom flatin North End with a loan from a bank. We have selected a solicitor in North End however our bank advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint from the our mortgage company panel solicitors or keep our North End solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent our mortgage company. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The bank home loan offered to you is subject to conditions, one of which will be that solicitors will on the mortgage company's conveyancing panel. in the past, most banks had open panels, including almost all conveyancing solicitors in North End : a mortgagee could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.