It is is a decade since I bought my home in Totterdown. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been retained on the sale but I can't locate the title deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a chance that the deeds will be retained by your lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Totterdown relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Coventry BS Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Totterdown?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
Do I need to take out insurance to address the risk of chancel repairs when acquiring a property in Totterdown?
Unless a previous acquisition of the premises took place post 12 October 2013 you may expect solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Totterdown to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Totterdown?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Totterdown. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
My husband and I are one month into a freehold purchase having been recommend to solicitors by the high street agent to execute conveyancing in Totterdown. I am not happy. Can you help me find new lawyers?
A lawyer would need to be very poor to suggest diss instructing them. Has the loan offer been generated? If so you must inform them of the new solicitor and get the mortgage documents are re-sent. The conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid escalating costs and frustration. So that should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool will help you find a bank approved conveyancer for your home move in Totterdown
There are only 68 years remaining on my flat in Totterdown. I need to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?
If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to find the freeholder. On the whole a specialist would be useful to try and locate and to produce an expert document to be used as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Totterdown.
Totterdown Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying
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Make sure you find out if the the lease contains any onerous restrictions in the lease. For example it is fairly common in Totterdown leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Totterdown. If you like the flatin Totterdown but your cat is not allowed to move with you then you will be faced difficult decision. You should want to find out as much as you can about the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day matters such as the upkeep of the common parts. Don't be shy to ask other tenants what they think of their service. Finally, be sure you understand the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the appropriate party and precisely how they are spending the funds. How much is the yearly maintenance fee and ground rent?