Please help. My Dunstable conveyancer is advising me that he has toorder Dunstable conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Virgin Moneyconveyancing panel. Is my conveyancer right?
You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancing practitioner would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Dunstable conveyancing searches.
I require fast conveyancing in Dunstable as I have an ultimatum to complete in less than 2 weeks. Fortunately I do not require a mortgage. Can I avoid the conveyancing searches to save fees and time?
As you are not taking a home loan you are at liberty not to do searches although no conveyancer would suggest that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Dunstable the following are instances of what can appear and therefore affect future mortgageability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Charges, Overdue Grants, Railway Schemes,...
My wife and I purchased a terraced Georgian house in Dunstable. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Aldermore. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. Is it worth asking Aldermore to clarify?
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Dunstable and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the purchase.
I was pointed in your direction by a number of property agents in Dunstable to locate a property lawyer on your site. Is there a financial upside for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers rather than alternative conveyancing organisations?
We don’t offer any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers to this site. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
Should I go with a Dunstable conveyancing practitioner based in the location that I am buying? I have an old university friend who can handle the legal work however his firm is located approximately 350kilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a high street Dunstable conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to sign paperwork, present your ID and pester them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a bonus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust instructed your friend and the majority were happy that must outweigh using an unfamiliar Dunstable conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being based in the area.
I own a leasehold flat in Dunstable. Conveyancing and Birmingham Midshires mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Dunstable who previously acted has long since retired. What should I do?
The first thing you should do is make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Dunstable conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
Dunstable Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to buying
-
Many Dunstable leasehold flats will have a service bill for the upkeep of the building levied on behalf of the landlord. Should you purchase the flat you will have to meet this contribution, usually periodically accross the year. This may be anything from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge for you to pay annual, this is usually not a exorbitant figure, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire as occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive. Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the building? The best form of lease structure is if the freehold title is owned by the leaseholders. In this scenario the lessees have control and although a managing agent is usually employed where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent employed by the leaseholders.