We see that you have a search directory listing solicitors on the TSB conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I appoint them for our conveyancing in Northumberland?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the TSB conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Northumberland.
My grandfather passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Northumberland. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Nationwide, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
Given you plan to refinance then Nationwide will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Nationwide 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 Nationwide 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 Nationwide mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a garden flat in Northumberland. Do I collect the keys to the premises on the completion date from my conveyancer? If so, I will use a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Northumberland?
On the day of completion you will not be required to go to the conveyancers office in Northumberland. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the completion advance to the seller's conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be able to collect the keys from the selling Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen early afternoon.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Yorkshire BS as we intend to conduct improvements to our property in Northumberland. Are we obliged to appoint a nearby Northumberland solicitor on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Yorkshire BS would not normally require a member of 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 Yorkshire BS panel.
I have instructed a Northumberland solicitor having checked that they are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Yorkshire BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Yorkshire BS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Northumberland surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
What does a local search reveal regarding the property we're buying in Northumberland?
Northumberland conveyancing often commences with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search company such as Xpress Legal The local search plays an important part in many a Northumberland conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your property. The search will provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject areas.
I need to instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Northumberland for my home move. Can I check a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
One can review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes monitor call for training requirements.
Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Northumberland from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?
- A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Northumberland can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the buyers’ solicitors. Some Northumberland leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. Any 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 service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their solicitors. In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Northumberland state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such alterations. Should you dont have the approvals in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor first. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Arranging a re-issued share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a Northumberland conveyancing transaction. Where a new share certificate is needed, you should approach the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible. Many freeholders or Management Companies in Northumberland levy fees for providing management packs for a leasehold premises. You or your lawyers should find out the fee that they propose to charge. The management pack can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus reducing delays. The average time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most frequent reason for delay in leasehold conveyancing in Northumberland.
I acquired a 1st floor flat in Northumberland, conveyancing was carried out December 2006. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Corresponding flats in Northumberland with an extended lease are worth £265,000. The ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2101
With 76 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.