We are buying our first house. The solicitor has messagedto enquire if we want to take out additional conveyancing searches. We are really unsure what's recommended for conveyancing in Potters Bar
The scope of Potters Bar conveyancing searches should be triggered based primarily on the premises, the location, the probability of any of these risks, your knowledge of the locality and risks, your general attitude to risk. What is important is that you adequately understand what information each search could supply. Then you can decide if you personally think you need that search. If unclear, ask the solicitor to guide you.
My wife and I purchasing a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Potters Bar. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will the conveyancing process include checks to determine if these works are permitted?
Your solicitor will check the registered title as conveyancing in Potters Bar will occasionally identify restrictions in the title deeds which restrict categories of works or need the consent of another owner. Some works need local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be prudent to check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Potters Bar. I have a mortgage offer with Kent Reliance. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Kent Reliance, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.
After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Potters Bar. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £150. A few days later, the conveyancer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Santander 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 Santander 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.
Will our solicitor be asking questions about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Potters Bar.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Potters Bar. Some people will purchase a property in Potters Bar, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various checks that can be undertaken by the buyer or by their conveyancers which should figure out the risks in Potters Bar. The conventional set of information supplied to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual question of the vendor to discover if the property has ever been flooded. If the residence has been flooded in past and is not disclosed by the owner, then a buyer could bring a claim for damages as a result of such an incorrect response. A buyer’s lawyers will also conduct an enviro search. This should higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries will need to be carried out.
I have recentlydiscovered that Wolstenholmes have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Potters Bar for a purchase of a leasehold apartment 9 months ago. How can I establish that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest way to see if the property is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Potters Bar conveyancing specialists.
My wife and I have hit a brick wall in seeking a lease extension in Potters Bar. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?
Where there is a missing freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Potters Bar residence is Flat 2 2 Netherfield Road in April 2010. The Tribunale held that premium payable for a 90 year extension to the existing Lease should be £7,705. This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 76 years.
What makes a Potters Bar lease problematic?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Potters Bar. Most leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain sections are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:
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A provision to repair to or maintain elements of the property A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party.
You will encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. National Westminster Bank, Skipton Building Society, and Alliance & Leicester all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.
I am buying a maisonette with all finances in place. My conveyancer has been given with 2 separate forms of photographic identification, bank statement, endless utility bills. Now he requires a copy from a probate lawyer advising that the money is in place and that it has come from inheritance and not selling fake watches.
In today’s world you will not be able to complete any Potters Bar conveyancing transaction without first providing evidence of your identity to your lawyers. This usually takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence and a utility bill. Remember if you are providing your driving licence as evidence of ID it must be both the paper part and photo card part, one is not acceptable without the other. Evidence of your source of funds is required under Money Laundering laws.