Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is suspended from the Nottingham Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Haringey?
The first thing to point out is that, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
The deeds to my house are lost. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Haringey 10 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?
Assuming you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be evidenced by HMLR with a Title Number. It is easy to conduct a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and obtain current copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally retain a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for twenty pounds.
How does conveyancing in Haringey differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Haringey come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is completed. This is because builders in Haringey usually purchase 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Haringey or who has acted in the same development.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Haringey prior to retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the property. My surveyor has said that some lenders will refuse to grant a loan on a flying freehold premises.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements from Nationwide. If you contact us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Haringey. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Haringey especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Haringey.
I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Haringey. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.
Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and almost all are in Haringey - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
Having spent months of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Haringey. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Haringey conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Haringey residence is 16 Langham Close in June 2009. The Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the Applicant to the Respondent for the grant of a new lease was £45,672. This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 25.4 years.
My husband and I are buying a first floor flat in Haringey. At the time of instructing our conveyancing practitioner, we were told they were on all major UK bank panels. Our mortgage broker contacted us yesterday to advise that they don't seem to be on the Yorkshire BS approved list. Should that be true, what should we do? Should we just find a new property lawyer that is on their panel or do we pay for dual representation, with Yorkshire BS appointing their own approved solicitor.
Where you are purchasing a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is usual for the buyer’s solicitors to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a conveyancer has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the conveyancing practitioner to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict conditions which the property lawyer has to satisfy. Some mortgage companies now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact Yorkshire BS to find out if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on Yorkshire BS's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Haringey lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.