My fiance and I are refinancing our maisonette in Harrow with Nationwide. We have a son 18 who lives with us. Our solicitor requested us to identify any adults other than ourselves who lives in the flat. The solicitor has now sent a form for our son to sign, giving up any rights in the event that the flat is forfeited by the lender. I have two concerns (1) Is this document specific to the Nationwide conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we remortgaged 4 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?
First, rest assured that your Nationwide conveyancing panel solicitor is doing the right thing as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Nationwide. This is solely used to protect Nationwide if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Nationwide had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.
What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Harrow? Is this really warranted?
Harrow conveyancing solicitors and indeed property lawyers throughout the UK have a duty under money laundering regulations to verify the identity of any client with a view to ensure that clients are who they say they are.
Conveyancing clients will need to produce two forms of certified identification; proof of ID (usually a Passport or Driving Licence) and evidence of address (typically a Utility Bill no more than three months).
Proof of source of monies is also required under the money laundering laws as solicitors are obliged to investigate that the monies you are using to buy a property (be it the exchange deposit or the full purchase monies if you are a cash purchaser) has originated from an acceptable source (such as an inheritance) rather than the proceeds of illegitimate behaviour.
Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may affect a commercial site in Harrow?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Harrow will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers spend in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Harrow. The report sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Harrow.
For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Harrow it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately could cause delays to Harrow commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Harrow.
How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my business premises in Harrow and how can you help?
The 1954 Act provides a safeguard to business tenants, giving them the a statutory right to apply to court for a new lease and continue in occupation when the lease comes to an end. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing solicitors who use the act to your advantage and assist with commercial conveyancing in Harrow
I own a leasehold flat in Harrow. Conveyancing and Nationwide Building Society mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1994. The conveyancing solicitor in Harrow who acted for me is not around. Any advice?
The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to incur the fees of a Harrow conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.
My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to purchase the freehold in Harrow. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Harrow conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Harrow property is flat 93b Welldon Crescent in May 2009. The Tribunals valuation for a 90-year lease extension of this fat was £13,171 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired residue of the current lease was 75.25 years.
What do I do if I am unhappy with the conveyancing practitioner who handled our conveyancing in Harrow?
We live in an imperfect world, and is is a fact of life that every so often things do go wrong. Nevertheless there is recourse where you were not happy with your conveyancing in Harrow. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a property lawyer to their regulator. If you remain dissatisfied you may consider getting in touch with the Legal Ombudsman.