The lawyer who helped my former purchase has sent a quote for £995 for leasehold conveyancing in Ashton Under Lyne. I am hoping to sell a purpose built detached home for £225,000. Is this overpriced? Is it in excess of the average fee for conveyancing in Ashton Under Lyne?
The charges are a little high. If you are happy to spend time comparing charges you could get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps a hundred pounds. On the other hand, you maycome to regret choosing an an unknown lawyer. Don't forget to ensure the solicitor can also act for your lender. You can use our search tool to find a Ashton Under Lyne conveyancing practice on the lender’s approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Ashton Under Lyne.
It is 10 years ago since I bought my home in Ashton Under Lyne. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I can't locate the title deeds. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in your purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Ashton Under Lyne relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
We wanted to use a conveyancing solicitor in Ashton Under Lyne for our home move. Our broker has since notified us that our mortgage company The Royal Bank of Scotland won't deal with them. Surely this is unfair competition?
A decade ago most banks had a different appetite for risk. Almost all Ashton Under Lyne conveyancing firms would have been on most bank panels. The financial services regulator in 2010 completed a thematic investigation into mortgage fraud which come to the conclusion: know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, mortgage companies are increasingly seeing more data from law firms regarding their operations and the individuals who work for them and establishing certain criteria such a completing on a minimum amount of transactions. Many Ashton Under Lyne conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have a 100% healthy track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Ashton Under Lyne is one of the hundreds of areas where the lawyers we list are members of the panel for The Royal Bank of Scotland.
I am selling our property in Ashton Under Lyne and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. Any local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers instructed a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Ashton Under Lyne. We have lived in Ashton Under Lyne for three years we know of no issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to get confirmation need.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one near me in Ashton Under Lyne I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Ashton Under Lyne suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.
I have been advised by three or four local estate agents in Ashton Under Lyne to select a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your services ahead of another?
We don’t make any commission for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.