It is 10 years ago since I acquired my home in Hove. Conveyancing lawyers have just been appointed on the sale but I can't track down my title deeds. Will this cause complications?
Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be with your lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Hove relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
I am helping my step-mother sell her house in Hove. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission an energy assessment or should I organise this?
Following the abolition of Home Information Packs, EPC’s was retained a mandatory part of moving property. An energy assessment needs to be to hand before the property is marketed. This is not a task that lawyers normally arrange. If you are instructing a Hove conveyancing practitioner they might be able to arrange energy assessments due to their relationships with reputable Hove energy assessors
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Nationwide. Hove conveyancing practitioners have been selected. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Nationwide?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Nationwide done the valuation? Have you advised Nationwide as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in January 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Barclays are being a right pain. The Hove solicitor who is on the Barclays conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Barclays are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Barclays have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Barclays have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Barclays may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Hove. I now require my papers however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 Hove of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I'm purchasing a new build house in Hove with the aid of help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative suggested that I not reveal to my solicitor about the extras as it would put at risk my mortgage with the bank. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
What does commercial conveyancing in Hove cover?
Hove conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad range of services, supplied by regulated solicitors, relating to business property. For instance, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the transfer of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of leases.
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Hove. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
In a situation 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 purchased a ground floor flat in Hove, conveyancing having been completed September 2000. How much will my lease extension cost? Similar properties in Hove with over 90 years remaining are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease ceases on 21st October 2080
With only 54 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £32,300 and £37,400 as well as costs.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.