Recently been in touch with my conveyancing solicitor in Greenwich who completed the legal work two years ago requesting a conveyancing quote based on an identical type of house move (a leasehold property and a freehold property) of similar values with a loan from Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. It looks as though am now being quoted double. Should I look for an alternative property lawyer?
The estimate does seem a little overpriced. If you you were to look around you could get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by as much as a hundred pounds. That being said, if you were content with the conveyancing the firm gave you maylive to rue opting for an an untested conveyancer. Don't forget to enquire the firm can also act for Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Do employ our search tool to choose a Greenwich conveyancing firm on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Greenwich.
We had chosen conveyancers locally in Greenwich on the Coventry BS solicitor panel. They are now charging me an additional sum for handling the Coventry BS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Coventry BS?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancer can charge a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Coventry BS but by your Greenwich solicitor. Plenty of firms on the Coventry BS panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
The mortgage over my property is with TSB for my property in Greenwich. Conveyancing has been completed months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform TSB?
Your original mortgage agreement with TSB will provide that you need their approval before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of TSB’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact TSB directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a TSB conveyancing panel lawyer.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in April 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Aldermore are being a right pain. The Greenwich solicitor who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Aldermore are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Aldermore have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Aldermore have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Aldermore may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
I have been told that property searches are the main cause of stalling in Greenwich house deals. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature within the common causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Greenwich.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our home can not be found. The conveyancers who did the conveyancing in Greenwich 4 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?
As long as you have a registered title the information relating to your ownership will be documented by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is possible to conduct a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and obtain current copies of the property title for a small fee. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally retain a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for a small fee.
Should I be wary about third parties that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a web based conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Greenwich conveyancing firm?
As with many professional services, often referrals from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. But there are numerous players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies may recommend solicitors to select. On occasion these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there may be a commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to appoint your preferred conveyancer. You need to be aware that most banks have an approved list of solicitors you have to use for the mortgage aspect of your conveyancing.
Notwithstanding our best endeavours, we have been unsuccessful in trying to purchase the freehold in Greenwich. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Greenwich conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Greenwich residence is 73 Walerand Road in August 2012. the result of the findings of the Tribunal led to a premium to be paid for the extended lease in respect of Flat 73 in the sum of £10,040. The premium applicable in respect of Flat 85 was £5,710. This case affected 2 flats. The unexpired term was 72 years.
What makes a Greenwich lease unmortgageable?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Greenwich. All leases are individual and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:
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A provision for the recovery of money spent for the benefit of another party. Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, 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 does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.