My uncle advised me that in buying a property in Oldham there may be a number of restrictions preventing external alterations to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of a number of properties in Oldham which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Oldham should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
Can you help - my lawyer advises that restrictive coveneant insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Oldham?
The right level of restrictive coveneant indemnity insurance should be dictated by who your lender. It would differ for example between Yorkshire Building Society and The Mortgage Works. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.
I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Oldham. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £225. Soon after, the property lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the TSB 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 TSB 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 completed on my flat on 12 September and the transaction details are still not on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Oldham said it would be recorded in less than a month. Are transfers in Oldham uniquely lengthy to register?
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Oldham registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can differ subject to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry communicate with any 3rd persons or bodies. At present in the region of 80% of such applications are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but some can be subject to longer delays. Registration occurs once the new owner has moved in to the premises therefore 'speed' is not usually an essential issue yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your conveyancer could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Oldham is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can impart?
Flying freeholds in Oldham are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Oldham you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Oldham may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
I was pointed in your direction by a few estate agents in Oldham to locate a conveyancer on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over a competitor’s?
We refuse to make any commission for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
We are four weeks into a freehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the local agent to handle our conveyancing in Oldham. I am am extremely disappointed with the level of service. Can you help me find new lawyers?
A solicitor would need to be very bad in order to consider replacing them. Has your mortgage been issued? In the event that it has you must advise them of the new contact details and ensure the mortgage documents are re-sent. The conveyancer should be on the lenders panel to avoid added charges and delays. That should be your first question of the new conveyancers. Our search tool will help you find a lender approved solicitor for your home move in Oldham
What are your top tips when it comes to choosing a Oldham conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a solicitor for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Oldham conveyancing practice) 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 Oldham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be useful:
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Can they put you in touch with clients in Oldham who can give a testimonial? What volume of lease extensions have they carried out in Oldham in the last twenty four months?
Oldham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying
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Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge payments? What is the name of the managing agents? You should want to discover as much as possible concerning the managing agents as they will either make living at the property much easier or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters like the upkeep of the common parts. Enquire of prospective neighbours what they think of them. Finally, find out the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the appropriate party and precisely what you get for your money.