It is a dozen years since I purchased my property in Sprowston. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I can't locate my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be with the lender or they could be archived with the lawyers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Sprowston involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
Do I need to attend the offices of the solicitor to execute the legal charge? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Sprowston so that I can pop in to their offices if required.
Nowadays conveyancing panel lawyers for lenders conduct the vast majority of work through the post, internet or over phone calls. This enables them to carry out the legal work for your home move no matter where you live in the country. That being said you should see if you have the option of going to the offices of your conveyancing lawyer if just in case this is required.
Can you point me to a directory of Nationwide panel solicitors in Sprowston on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
No. There is no such tool on the CML or Building Society Association websites. Very few lending institutions make their panel listings available on the web. Where you are seeking to appoint a Sprowston conveyancer on the Nationwide please make the most of our tool.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Sprowston off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with TSB. 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 TSB, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel.
I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Sprowston solicitor - who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
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. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Sprowston postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Coventry BS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Sprowston.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Sprowston prior to retaining solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some banks may not issue a mortgage on this type of house.
It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Nationwide. If you call us we can check via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Sprowston. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
How does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my business premises in Sprowston and how can you help?
The 1954 Act affords protection to business tenants, granting the legal entitlement to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease comes to an end. There are certain specified grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are involved. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing solicitors who use the act for protection and assist with commercial conveyancing in Sprowston
Back In 2009, I bought a leasehold house in Sprowston. Conveyancing and Halifax mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing practitioner in Sprowston who acted for me is not around. What should I do?
The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Sprowston conveyancing solicitor to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
I purchased a 1 bedroom flat in Sprowston, conveyancing was carried out 3 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar flats in Sprowston with a long lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease runs out on 21st October 2079
With only 53 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as legals.
The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.