I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and have to leave my let out flat in Harleston by the end of next month. Conveyancing on my purchase is progressing. Is it possible to complete in three weeks as I wish to avoid having to find temporary accommodation?
It is unwise to serve notice on a rental until your lawyer suggests that you should. Assuming that you have not previously done so, notify to your lawyer and request that they chase the owners side, try to a target completion date that all parties will aim to achieve
We are getting the release of further funds on our mortgage from Leeds Building Society as we wish to carry out alterations to our property in Harleston. Do we need to appoint a high street Harleston solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Leeds Building Society would not normally require a member of their conveyancing panel to handle the formalities. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Leeds Building Society list.
I am buying a property in Harleston. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Barclays be concerned?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Barclays your lawyer must check the formal instructions outlined in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Barclays. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Barclays where a lease fails to satisfy these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not restricted to Harleston.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Harleston. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
I used Arc property Solicitors several years past for my conveyancing in Harleston. I now require my file however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Harleston of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I was pointed in your direction by a number of estate agents in Harleston to choose a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to promote your site over and above another?
We don’t make any commission for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult a fee because home movers will think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
Last September I purchased a leasehold property in Harleston. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element 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 bought a 1st floor flat in Harleston, conveyancing having been completed in 2007. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Harleston with a long lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2090
With 65 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £13,300 and £15,400 plus costs.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.
What happens where there is a problem with the searches conducted as part of our conveyancing in Harleston?
Normally, most problems arising from Harleston conveyancing search responses can be addressed before completion or title insurance may be put on cover. You should note that even though you intend on buying the property and might be willing to live with the search results, your lender may not, and ultimately they have the word say.