It is is a decade since I purchased my house in Whitworth. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been instructed on the sale but I can't locate the title deeds. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a chance that the deeds will be with your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who handled your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Whitworth relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
My uncle passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Whitworth. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Yorkshire BS, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
Where you plan to re-mortgage then Yorkshire BS will require that you use a conveyancer on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Yorkshire BS mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I am assisting my aunt sell her flat in Whitworth. Will the conveyancing solicitor order an EPC or do I organise this?
Following the demise of Home Packs, energy performance certificates remained a required element of moving property. An energy performance certificate needs to be to hand in advance of the property being marketed. It is not a task that law firms normally arrange. If you are instructing a Whitworth conveyancing solicitor they might be willing to arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with long established local providers
How can we know in advance if a Whitworth conveyancing solicitor on the Lloyds panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Whitworth getting 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 advertising the lowest fees. We would always advocate that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your transaction.
I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, RBS are being pedantic. The Whitworth solicitor who is on the RBS conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but RBS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do RBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that RBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why RBS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
It has been 3 months following my purchase conveyancing in Whitworth completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £215,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the property from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and found one close by in Whitworth I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Whitworth suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
Should you require a mortgage that many years will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this matter.
I work for a reputable estate agent office in Whitworth where we have experienced a number of leasehold sales jeopardised due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given conflicting advice from local Whitworth conveyancing firms. Can you confirm whether the seller of a flat can start the lease extension process for the buyer?
As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer need not have to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.
Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
I am the registered owner of a 2 bed flat in Whitworth, conveyancing formalities finalised 5 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Whitworth with an extended lease are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease expires on 21st October 2099
You have 73 years unexpired the likely cost is going to be between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as costs.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.