The deeds to my house can not be found. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Leatherhead 4 years ago no longer exist. What are my options?
As long as the title is registered the information relating to your ownership will be retained by HMLR under a Title Number. It is possible to conduct a search at the Land Registry, find your house and obtain up to date copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for a small fee.
How does conveyancing in Leatherhead differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Leatherhead come to us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because house builders in Leatherhead tend to buy the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Leatherhead or who has acted in the same development.
I have been recommended by a number of property agents in Leatherhead to find a conveyancer on your site. Is there a financial incentive for Estate Agents to offer your lawyers ahead of another?
We refuse to make any commission for pointing buyers and sellers to this site. We found it would be just too difficult a fee as members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
In surfing the world wide web for the words cheap conveyancing in Leatherhead it brings up numerous conveyancerslocally. How do I determine which is the right property lawyer for the sale of my house?
The preferential way of finding the right conveyancer is through a trusted testimonial, so enquire of colleagues and those you trust who have purchased a property in Leatherhead or a respected estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in Leatherhead differ, so it's a good idea to obtain a minimum of four estimates from different law firms. Make sure that you clarify what costs in the quote includes.
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Leatherhead. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner 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 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).
Leatherhead Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing
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Who are the managing agents? Is there a share of the freehold? Please inform me if there are any major works anticipated that will increase the service fees?
I'm selling a property in Leatherhead. I have found my conveyancer's company on the Law Society's list, but I can't see my conveyancer's name as listed on the regulator's website. Should I be concerned?
Not every individual in the law firm must be listed by the regulator. Provided there is a manager qualified to 'oversee' the transaction, the actual day-to-day activity can be conducted by unqualified staff.