It is is a decade since I acquired my property in Barlaston. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I am unable to find my title deeds. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be with your lender or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who handled the purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Barlaston involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
Our mortgage company has suggested solicitors on their panel based in Barlaston but I would rather instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Barlaston or nearer to where I live. Can you help?
It is by no means the case that all Barlaston conveyancing practices are on all banks conveyancing panel. Please make use of our search tool to identify a Barlaston conveyancing firm on the on the mortgage company panel.
I have paid off my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Barlaston lawyer on the Co-operative panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I can not work out if my lender requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Barlaston building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My Barlaston conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they will not lend based on their specific requirements. I simply don't know who is right.
As long as the lawyer is on the bank approved list, they must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Barlaston. My mortgage broker recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £200. Soon after, the property lawyer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the HSBC panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
We are 14 days into a residential purchase having been referred to conveyancers by the high street agent to execute conveyancing in Barlaston. I am am very disappointed with the level of service. Could you help me find new solicitors?
A conveyancer would have to be really poor to suggest replacing them. Has your loan offer been generated? If so you will need to make them aware of the new contact details and have the loan are re-sent. The conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid escalating expenses and frustration. That should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool should assist you in finding a lender approved lawyer for your home move in Barlaston
My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Barlaston. Conveyancing and Britannia mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1995. The conveyancing practitioner in Barlaston who previously acted has now retired. Do I pay?
First contact HMLR to be sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. You do not need to instruct a Barlaston conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. You should note 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 own a 1 bedroom flat in Barlaston, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Barlaston with a long lease are worth £191,000. The ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2079
With just 53 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to 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.
I am contemplating choosing a web based property lawyer rather than a Barlaston conveyancing practice. Should I ‘stay local’?
Various benefits exist in having the opportunity to visit a local Barlaston conveyancing solicitor for example
- signing documents and and when necessary
- getting face-to-face explanations of issues that need explaining
- the ability to complain if things go pear-shaped
When analysing quotes, look out for hidden extras. The majority decent Barlaston high street solicitors give an all-inclusive figure. Many online companies appear to offer cheap fees, but have hidden 'extras' in the small print.