It is a dozen years since I bought my house in Greenhithe. Conveyancing solicitors have now been instructed on the sale but I am unable to track down the title deeds. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by the mortgage company or they could be archived with the solicitor who handled your purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Greenhithe relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
I need some fast conveyancing in Greenhithe as I am under pressure to sign on the dotted line in less than 3 weeks. Thankfully I do not need a mortgage. Is it possible to decline from having conveyancing searches to save money and time?
As you are are a mortgage free buyer you are at liberty not to have searches conducted although no lawyer would suggest that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in Greenhithe the following are instances of issues that can be revealed and therefore affect future saleability: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Charges, Outstanding Grants, Road Schemes,...
The deeds to my house are lost. The solicitors who did the conveyancing in Greenhithe 10 years ago no longer exist. What are my next steps?
You no longer need to have the physical deeds to establish that you own the land or property, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
Should I be suspicious by estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting an internet conveyancing firm rather than a local Greenhithe conveyancing practice?
As with lots of service providers, often referrals from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are lots of parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks may recommend conveyancers to instruct. On occasion these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You have the right to appoint your preferred lawyer. Don't forget that some banks specify a panel list of solicitors you have to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.
I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for residential conveyancing in Greenhithe. I happened to discover a site which seems to have the ideal answer If there is a chance to get all the legals completed via web that would be preferable. Do I need to be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Greenhithe. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
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).
I have had difficulty in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Greenhithe. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?
if there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the premium.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Greenhithe flat is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case related to 13 flats. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 76 years.