My lawyer in Penge is not on the Halifax Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to use my prefered solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Halifax approved list?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Carry on with your existing Penge lawyers but Halifax will need to instruct a conveyancer on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the overall legal charges as well as result in delays.
- Get a new lawyer to to deal with the purchase, obviously checking they are on the Halifax panel
A relative advised me that in purchasing a property in Penge there could be a number of restrictions prohibiting external changes to the property. Is this right?
There are anumerous of properties in Penge which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Penge should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
How can we know in advance if a Penge conveyancing solicitor on the Kent Reliance panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Penge seeking recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the solicitor handling your transaction.
Planning on purchasing a maisonette in Penge. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Barclays conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Penge conveyancing practitioner is on the Barclays conveyancing panel.
I require fast conveyancing in Penge as I am under a deadline to sign on the dotted line inside one month. Fortunately I do not require a mortgage. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?
As you are not obtaining a mortgage you are at liberty not to have searches conducted although no lawyer would advise that you don't. Drawing on years of experience of conveyancing in Penge the following are instances of issues that can show up and therefore impact market value: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Charges, Outstanding Grants, Railway Schemes,...
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Penge I like with a park and station in the vicinity, however it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Penge for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?
Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
Am I better off to appoint a Penge conveyancing lawyer based in the location that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can execute the legal formalities however his firm is located over three hundred miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a high street Penge conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, hand in your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local insight which is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who used your friend and on the whole were content that should surpass using an unfamiliar Penge conveyancing solicitor just because they are Penge based.
I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Penge. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.
If the lease is registered - and most are in Penge - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such issues? Can you recommend a Penge conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?
Where there is a absentee landlord or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to make a decision on the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Penge residence is Flats 5, 9, 38 & 40 Blakewood Court Anerley Park in January 2012. the tribunal held that the premiums payable for the new lease sare: FLAT 5:- £7,130 FLAT 9:- £7,860 FLAT 38:- £15,867 FLAT 40: £14,834 This case was in relation to 4 flats.