My partner and I are hoping to purchase a home in Headington and have appointed a Headington conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Barclays have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Headington lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see 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 the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Headington lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Last September we completed a house move in Headington. We have since encountered a number of problems with the property which we suspect were overlooked in the conveyancing searches. Is there anything we can do? Can you clarify the type of searches that needed to have been conducted as part of conveyancing in Headington?
The question is vague as what problems have arisen and if they are unique to conveyancing in Headington. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken during the buying process are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, the vendor fills in a form called a SPIF. answers proves to be misleading, then you may have a claim against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Headington.
It is 10 years ago since I acquired my property in Headington. Conveyancing lawyers have just been retained on the sale but I am unable to track down my deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
Don’t worry too much. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by the lender or they could still be with the conveyancers who handled your purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Headington involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
I purchased my apartment on 6 February and my personal details are still not on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Headington said it would be dealt with in a couple of weeks. Are titles in Headington particularly slow to register?
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Headington registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can differ according to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry communicate with any other persons or bodies. Currently in the region of three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with within 12 days but occasionally there can be protracted delays. Historically registration is effected once the new owner has moved in to the premises thus an expedited registration is not usually an essential issue yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your conveyancer should speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
My fiance and I may need to sub-let our Headington garden flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Headington conveyancing firm in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?
Some leases for properties in Headington do contain a provision to say that subletting is only allowed with permission. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience dictates that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.
I bought a 1st floor flat in Headington, conveyancing having been completed March 2002. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Headington with over 90 years remaining are worth £175,000. The ground rent is £65 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2083
You have 58 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £23,800 and £27,400 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
I am looking to buy a house and need a conveyancing solicitor in Headington who is on the lender conveyancing panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for the bank who do conveyancing in Headington. We dont recommend any particular firm.