My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Cricklewood. I I would like to check if they are accepted on the Alliance & Leicester approved list of lawyers. Can you help?
The first thing you should do is e-mail your solicitor and ask them whether they can act for the bank. Alternatively please get in touch with Alliance & Leicester who may be able to confirm.
I happen to be the sole beneficiary of my late grandmother’s will and I have everything in my name now, including the house in Cricklewood. The Cricklewood property was put into my name in January. I plan to dispose of the house. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my property ownership will be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the property in January. Is the property unsalable for six months?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges conveyancers to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you might be affected by that. How sensible a view mortgage companies take of it, depend on the lender as this clause is primarily there to identify the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of property.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Cricklewood. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Cricklewood. My financial adviser suggested a lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £150. Shortly after, the conveyancer contacted me to say that they were not on the Aldermore 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 Aldermore 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.
Taking into account that I will soon spend £400,000 on a property in Cricklewood I would like to have a conversation with the solicitor concerning thehouse move prior to instructing the firm. Can this be arranged?
This is something that we encourage - we would be pleased to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the lawyer due to be doing your conveyancing in Cricklewood.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is an important individual, not a file reference. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Cricklewood should be the figure that you are charged.
My husband and I are FTB’s - had an offer accepted, yet the selling agent informed us that the seller will only proceed if we instruct their recommended solicitors as they are insisting on an ‘expedited deal’. My instinct tells me that we should use a family conveyancer who is familiar with conveyancing in Cricklewood
It is highly unlikely the owners are behind this. If they require ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated buyer is likely to cause more damage than good. Contact the owners directly and explain that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances arranged © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you intend to instruct your own,trusted Cricklewood conveyancing firm - rather thanthe ones that will provide the negotiator at the agency a kickback or meet his conveyancing figures demanded by head office.
I am the proprietor of a ground-floor 1950’s flat in Cricklewood. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium payable for the purchase of the freehold?
Where there is a missing landlord or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, 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 premium.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Cricklewood residence is 73 and 73a St. Pauls Avenue in October 2013. the Tribunal held in accordance with section32 and Schedule 6 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the enfranchisement was fifty three thousand three hundred and sixty one pounds (£53,361.00) This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 64.61 and 67.18.
Are there common defects that you witness in leases for Cricklewood properties?
Leasehold conveyancing in Cricklewood is not unique. All leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are erroneous. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:
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Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises Insurance obligations
You will have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Lloyds TSB Bank, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and TSB all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to withdraw.
My wife and I intend to acquire our first house in Cricklewood. Conveyancing solicitor has been selected. The mortgage adviser pointed out that a survey is not appropriate as the house was only constructed twenty two years ago.
At the very least you should order a Home Buyer's Report. As the premises is more than ten years old the property will not come with a warranty, so you don't want to take a risk. For a property that age with no signs of problems a Home Buyer's report may be enough. The report should highlight any obvious issues and recommend additional investigation where appropriate. Where there are any indications of problems seek a full Building Survey from the beginning.