I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Ham for our house move. Our broker has since advised us that our mortgage company Santander won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?
Before the recession most lenders had an appetite for risk which was higher than today. Almost all Ham conveyancing firms would have been on many mortgage company panels. The financial services regulator in 2010 completed a thematic review into mortgage fraud which concluded: mortgage lenders should know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, mortgage companies have regularly sought more information from law firms concerning their operations and their employees as well as set certain criteria such a completing on a minimum amount of conveyancing. Many Ham conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have a 100% healthy track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Ham is one of the hundreds of locations where the solicitors we recommend are on the panel for Santander.
I own a terraced Edwardian house in Ham. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Britannia. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to read 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 Ham and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.
How does conveyancing in Ham differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Ham contact us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because house builders in Ham usually buy the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Ham or who has acted in the same development.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Ham I like with amenity areas and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 61 years on the lease. There is not much else in Ham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease may be problematic. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.
I have just appointed agents to market my basement apartment in Ham. Conveyancing has not commenced, but I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the invoice as you normally would as all ground rent and service charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can one apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Ham conveyancing firm to assist?
if there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the sum to be paid.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Ham residence is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case related to 1 flat.
I acquired a house in Ham last 7/7/2025 and to date it is still not registered with the Land Registry. It was part of a development site and my lawyer told me that it can take 12 months to register. I have contacted HMLR directly and they have informed me the original application was cancelled due to questions not being addressed in time. Should I be concerned?
Contact your lawyer - if you are not getting sensible responses, enquire as to their firm’s complaints procedure and escalate your concerns to a Partner. Registrations for Ham conveyancing are not known to be particularly slow.