My fiance and I are hoping to acquire a home in South Woodford and have instructed a South Woodford conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Barclays have this morning contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our South Woodford conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred South Woodford lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.
In the event thatI were to purchase a freehold homein South Woodford for cash and have no survey and no local authority searches how much could I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in South Woodford?
Any savings you would achieve will be isolated to the South Woodford conveyancing searches. Your solicitor still got to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with your vendors property lawyer, stamp duty return, register the property etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a charge but it will not be meaningful.
I am buying a 3 bedroom semi in South Woodford. We would like to an extension at the rear at the house.Will the conveyancing process include enquiries to determine if these works are allowed?
Your conveyancer will check the deeds as conveyancing in South Woodford will sometimes reveal restrictions in the title documents which restrict certain changes or require the consent of a 3rd party. Many additions require local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. It would be sensible to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in South Woodford. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
Intending to buy a flat in South Woodford. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Nationwide 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 South Woodford property lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.
Just had an offer accepted on a new build flat in South Woodford. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in South Woodford
-
The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.
I have been sourcing a conveyancing lawyer in South Woodford for my remortgage. Is it possible to check a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
You may see published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor call for training requirements.
Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed flat in South Woodford. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have recently had a half-yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the service charge as usual given that all rents and maintenance invoices will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I am the proprietor of a a ground floor purpose built flat in South Woodford. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for the purchase of the freehold?
in cases where there is a missing landlord or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to determine the price payable.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a South Woodford flat is 135 Maybank Road in January 2013. The Tribunal determined that the price to be paid by the tenants for the grant of a new lease is £10,592 This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 71.2 years.