My wife and I are hoping to acquire a 3 bedroom flat in Meltham with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Meltham conveyancer, however the bank says he's not on their "panel". It seems we have no option but to instruct one of the lender panel conveyancing practices or continue with our Meltham lawyer and pay for one of their panel firms to act for them. This feels very unfair; are we not able to demand that the mortgage company use our Meltham property lawyer ?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Meltham conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
It has been three months since my purchase conveyancing in Meltham completed. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
How does conveyancing in Meltham differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Meltham approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Meltham usually purchase 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 Meltham or who has acted in the same development.
Am I better off to appoint a Meltham conveyancing practitioner based in the vicinity that I am hoping to buy? An old friend can conduct the legal work however his firm is located 400miles away.
The benefit of a local Meltham conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and on the whole were impressed that must surpass using an unfamiliar Meltham conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being round the corner.
Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years left on my flat in Meltham. I now want to get lease extension but my landlord is missing. What are my options?
If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to find the freeholder. On the whole an enquiry agent may be helpful to conduct investigations and to produce a report which can be used as proof that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Meltham.
I own a split level flat in Meltham, conveyancing having been completed in 2007. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable flats in Meltham with over 90 years remaining are worth £180,000. The ground rent is £65 per annum. The lease expires on 21st October 2084
You have 59 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £20,900 and £24,200 plus costs.
The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.
Finally our conveyancing in Meltham is set to complete on Friday, yet the couple I am buying off wishes to move out on the Saturday at 2pm. Should I accept this?
It is not possible to complete on a Saturday because the bank systems are not operational.