It is is a decade since I bought my house in Cockermouth. Conveyancing solicitors have now been instructed on the sale but I can't locate my title deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly the deeds may be kept by the lender or they could be in the possession of the conveyancers who handled the purchase. Secondly in all probability the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Cockermouth involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
A colleague informed me that in purchasing a property in Cockermouth there could be various restrictions preventing external alterations to the property. Is this right?
There are anumerous of properties in Cockermouth which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Cockermouth should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
We were going to get a DIP from Co-operative this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Co-operative recommend any Cockermouth solicitors on the Co-operative conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Cockermouth solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Co-operative through the process.
I can not work out if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Cockermouth bank branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Cockermouth conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?
Your property lawyer has to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two specifications for your 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 lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
Should our lawyer be making enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Cockermouth.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers dealing with homes in Cockermouth. There are those who purchase a house in Cockermouth, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.
Lawyers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that can be initiated by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should figure out the risks in Cockermouth. The standard information sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard question of the seller to determine if the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the vendor, then a purchaser could bring a compensation claim as a result of such an incorrect answer. A purchaser’s conveyancers may also carry out an environmental search. This should higlight whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be made.
2 months have elapsed since my purchase conveyancing in Cockermouth concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. 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.
Are there any apps to help identify a Cockermouth solicitor on the Alliance & Leicester conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am happy to travel upto 10kilometers to meet the solicitor.
Feel free to make use of the search on this page. Please choose the bank and your location and you will see a number of Cockermouth conveyancing lawyers locally. We have detailed some Cockermouth conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to check if they are on the Alliance & Leicester member panel
My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Cockermouth. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Cockermouth who acted for me is not around. Any advice?
The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Cockermouth conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for £3. Rest assured that in any event, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.
I bought a leasehold flat in Cockermouth, conveyancing formalities finalised February 2005. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable flats in Cockermouth with an extended lease are worth £255,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2099
With 74 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £8,600 and £9,800 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive 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 considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.