My partner’s step-father is a solicitor. I anticipate that I can be offered preferential rates for conveyancing, However if that does not come materialise, what level of fees should I be paying for conveyancing in London?
You should compare pricing. Do use our comparison tool on this site. The estimates may be different but the service one can expect are distinct between solicitors as is the case with most professions.
Can your site be used to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in London even where I’m not buying or disposing of a house, for example where I wish to buy an office in London with a mortgage from Alliance & Leicester ?
The service is predominantly utilised to get a quote from residential conveyancing solicitors in London but we have recorded at the end of this page a few London commercial conveyancing firms. You should speak with the company directly to establish if they are also authorised to represent Alliance & Leicester
Me and my brother own a 4 bedroom Georgian property in London. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Barnsley Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in London and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. London is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in London are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside London you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in London may ascertain 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 premises.
Should I be wary that estate agents that I am dealing with are suggesting a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street London conveyancing company?
As with lots of professional services, often input from family and friends can be very helpful. Nevertheless there are many players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies may recommend lawyers to select. Sometimes the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there exists a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to appoint your preferred conveyancer. However, bear in mind that many banks specify a panel list of law firms you have to use for the mortgage aspect of your transaction.
Having had my offer accepted I require leasehold conveyancing in London. Before I set the wheels in motion I want to be sure as to the number of years remaining on the lease.
Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in London - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.
I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a London conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?
Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a London conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a London residence is 20 Avonwick Road in July 2013. The Tribunal was dealing with an application under Section 26 of the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 for a determination of the freehold value of the property. It was concluded that the price to be paid was Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy (£15,970) divided as to £8,200 for Flat 20 and £7,770 for Flat 20A This case affected 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 73.26 years.