My grandmother passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Beverley. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £4500. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Santander, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
If you intend to refinance then Santander will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Santander 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 Santander 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 Santander mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Beverley. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?
Given that you have now exchanged you will need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor soon as you are faced with a fast approaching a fixed date to complete the transaction. All auction property will ordinarily have a corresponding legal pack. This should include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal papers may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to leasehold premises. You need to hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. Do make sure that your finances are in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Beverley. I have a mortgage offer with Co-operative. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Co-operative, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.
I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in January 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, HSBC are being problematic. The Beverley solicitor who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but HSBC are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do HSBC have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that HSBC have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why HSBC 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.
My partner and I are intent on selling our property in Beverley and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. Any high street Beverley conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers used a nationwide conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Beverley. We have lived in Beverley for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to seek clarification that there is no issue.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You must check with 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)
Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Beverley I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Beverley suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be an issue. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you can 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 with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.
In scouring the internet for the words cheap conveyancing in Beverley it shows results of many solicitorslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancer for purchase transaction?
The best way of seeking the right conveyancer is via trusted referral, so ask friends and those you trust who have acquired a property in Beverley or the reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Beverley differ, so it's a good idea to obtain a minimum of four costs illustrations from varying types of solicitors. Make sure that you clarify that the fees are fixed.
I am attracted to a couple of flats in Beverley which have about 50 years remaining on the leases. Will this present a problem?
There are no two ways about it. A leasehold apartment in Beverley is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it adversely affects the value of the property. The majority of purchasers and mortgage companies, leases with under eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Beverley conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. More often than not it is possible to negotiate informally with the freeholder to extend the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.
I am the registered owner of a 2 bed flat in Beverley, conveyancing having been completed September 1995. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Beverley with over 90 years remaining are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2087
You have 62 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £17,100 and £19,800 plus legals.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered 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.