Why would I instruct a Otford conveyancing firm when online conveyancers are more affordable?
Its a good idea to contrast conveyancing costs in Otford and you should seek a reasonable quote but don’t waste your energy searching for the cheapest Otford conveyancer. Locating the right conveyancer can mark the distinction between a seamless and a frustrating house move. You need to ensure that you have expert guidance from an experienced lawyer. An e-mail can never replace a telephone call and can never replicate a one to one appointment. Our partner firms will find you a qualified and trusted conveyancing solicitor who can handle your conveyancing from beginning to end, giving the sort of continuity that you are unlikely to received from an internet conveyancer. Our lawyers will keep you updated on any developments making sure that you are regularly updated. If you ever need to call the firm you will be sure who to ask for and we'll be sure you are in the know.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with TSB. Otford conveyancing lawyers were chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from TSB?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have TSB completed the survey? Have you advised TSB as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the TSB conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Otford. Conveyancing was a necessary evil 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 Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Otford solicitor having checked that they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Coventry BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Coventry 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 Otford 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.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Otford. Now, I need my files but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Otford of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Otford ahead of appointing lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor has said that some mortgage companies may refuse to give a loan on this type of home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you call us we can investigate further via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Otford. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Otford especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Otford.
I am employed by a busy estate agent office in Otford where we have experienced a few flat sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Otford conveyancing solicitors. Could you clarify whether the owner of a flat can start the lease extension formalities for the buyer?
As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.
Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.
I inherited a split level flat in Otford, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2009. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Otford with a long lease are worth £190,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2087
With only 62 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £17,100 and £19,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.
My mum and dad are unable to locate their Otford land registry title on the website. They have a vague memory 50 years ago when they purchased the property there were complications concerning Otford not being identified on some systems.
Nearly all premises in Otford should be revealed. Have you tried a search with simply the postcode. Ordinarily it will identify all the properties within that postcode. Assuming the property is registered it will be there with a title number. If they bought fifty years ago it's conceivable it may be unrecorded. The property could still be revealed but with the title number shown 'na'. In this scenario you will need to locate the original title papers which may be with your parent’s lender.