The Ashford conveyancing firm handling our Ashford conveyancing has identified a difference when comparing the assumptions in the home valuation survey and what is in the legal papers for the property. My lawyer says that he needs to check that the lender is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my solicitor’s stance legitimate?
Your solicitor must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.
I am helping my sister sell her house in Ashford. Does the conveyancer order the EPC or do I organise this?
Following the abolition of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was left as a mandatory part of selling a property. An energy performance certificate should be to hand prior to the property being marketed. This is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers normally arrange. Where you are using a Ashford conveyancing practitioner they might help arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with reputable Ashford assessors
is it true that all Ashford conveyancing solicitors on the Barclays conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Barclays conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the organisation would be governed by the CLC.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Ashford. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team 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 with full details of your complaint.
3 months have gone by since my purchase conveyancing in Ashford concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 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'm remortgaging my current house to a buy to let loan with Santander and I will use the rest of the raised equity towards another house. The area we are interested in is Ashford. Will your conveyancers be able to act for both sets of banks and tie in the two deals?
Do use our search tool on this site to ensure that the solicitors are on the appropriate lender panels. Assuming that they are your solicitor will be able to simultaneously deal with the two conveyancing matters but you should talk with you lawyer and communicate your expectations and requirements.
Expecting to complete next month on a leasehold property in Ashford. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?
The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Ashford should include some of the following:
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It needs to be made clear to you if the lease permits you to alter or improve anything in the property- you must know whether it applies to all alterations or limited to structural alteration, and whether permission is required The physical extent of the premises. This will be the flat itself but could also include a roof space or storage are if relevant. Details of the parties to the lease, for example these could be the tennant, superior lessor, landlord The length of the lease term. You should receive guidance as what happens when the lease ends, and informed of the importance of the 80 year mark Repair and maintenance of the flat
After years of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Ashford. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
in cases where there is a missing landlord or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to determine the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Ashford property is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 82.93 years.
I own a leasehold flat in Ashford. Conveyancing was finished in last year. I have been told that I mustn’t let the lease length fall too short. Is this right?
Ashford leasehold properties are for a set term - usually ninety nine years when they started. However many appartments in Ashford were built or converted in the 60’s and so such leases now have under 80 years left to run. This may sound like a long time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage companies tend to need leases to have a minimum of seventy five years remaining to adequate security. This means that when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are approaching seventy five years. To enhance your property value you should be thinking about whether or not to extend your lease long before you come to sell it. Please note that there are significant benefits to taking action before the lease hits eighty years as when the lease falls below 80 years the premium you have to pay to extend starts to escalate.