This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Hunstanton. Do I receive the keys to the house on the completion date from my solicitor? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Hunstanton?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the completion advance to the vendor’s solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be able to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. Usually this occurs between 1 and 3pm.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Hunstanton. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Hunstanton. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £175. Shortly after, the lawyer contacted me to say that they were not on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Nottingham panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Hunstanton is where the house is located. Can you offer any assistance?
Flying freeholds in Hunstanton are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Hunstanton you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Hunstanton may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
I was pointed in your direction by numerous estate agents in Hunstanton to locate a solicitor on your site. What’s the financial upside for Estate Agents to market your site over another?
We refuse to offer any commission for directing people in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Hunstanton for my home move. Is it possible to check a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?
You can read presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded telephone calls for training requirements.
I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Hunstanton. Do I have any liability for 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. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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 acquired a 1 bedroom flat in Hunstanton, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Hunstanton with an extended lease are worth £192,000. The ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2079
With only 54 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £32,300 and £37,400 plus costs.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.
We are midway through buying a residence in Hunstanton. Conveyancing lawyer has told us the property is "Leasehold". Does this make a difference on the marketability of the house?
Hunstanton conveyancing does not normally involve leasehold houses. The main factor here is the length of lease and the ground rent. If there are over a hundred years remaining with a nominal rent, it's essentially freehold, so it’s unlikely to impact the saleability significantly.
At the other end of the spectrum, if it's, say, 50 years it is bound to have a adverse effect on the saleability, and probably wouldn't be mortgageable. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be specified in the lease to be supplied to your conveyancer.