Finally the sale completed on my house in Colney Hatch last March yet the purchaser is calling me complaining that their conveyancer is waiting to hear from mine. What should my lawyer have done following completion?
Following your house sale your conveyancer is duty bound to send the transfer documentation and all additional paperwork to the purchaser's conveyancer. Depending on the transaction, your lawyer must also send confirmation that the home loan has been redeemed to the buyers lawyers. There are no post completion steps unique to conveyancing in Colney Hatch.
We intend to purchase a newly converted apartment in Colney Hatch with a homeloan from Accord Mortgages Ltd.We use our Colney Hatch conveyancing lawyer but Accord Mortgages Ltd advised that he's not listed on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a Accord Mortgages Ltd panel firm or keep our local solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Accord Mortgages Ltd use our lawyer?
No, not really. The loan offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, a common one being that conveyancers will be on the Accord Mortgages Ltd approved list. Until recently, most banks had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Accord Mortgages Ltd
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one close by in Colney Hatch I like with open areas and transport links in the vicinity, however it's only got 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Colney Hatch in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you require a home loan that many years may be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.
We are four weeks into a freehold purchase having been recommend to a firm by the high street agent to carry out the conveyancing in Colney Hatch. I am am extremely dissatisfied with the quality of service. Could you help me find new lawyers?
A solicitor would have to be very poor to suggest diss instructing them. Has your mortgage offer been sent? If so you must advise them of the new contact details and get the loan are re-sent. The solicitor ideally should be on the lenders panel to avoid escalating costs and frustration. That should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool can help you find a bank approved conveyancer for your home move in Colney Hatch
Last October I purchased a leasehold property in Colney Hatch. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
Following years of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Colney Hatch. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to determine the price.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Colney Hatch premises is 90 & 96 Poplar Grove in June 2013. It was held by the Tribunal that the premium to be paid for the new lease in respect of each of the flats referred should be £17,942 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 68 years.
Do I cancel the direct debit for my mortgage with Clydesdale as soon as a completion date for my sale in Colney Hatch has been agreed?
You would be well advised to maintain meeting any mortgage payments to Clydesdale until the mortgage is discharged from the proceeds of sale as part of your Colney Hatch conveyancing.