I am refinancing my flat in Mill Hill, does my lawyer have to be on the TSB Solicitor panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but TSB will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
A relative advised me that where I am purchasing in Mill Hill I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Mill Hill conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about Mill Hill around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Mill Hill.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Mill Hill is the location of the property. Is there any advice you can impart?
Flying freeholds in Mill Hill are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Mill Hill you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Mill Hill may decide 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.
Given that I will soon part with hundreds of thousands of pounds on 3 bedroom house in Mill Hill I would like to have a conversation with the conveyancer about myconveyancing ahead of appointing the firm. Can this be arranged?
Absolutely - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the lawyer due to be doing your conveyancing in Mill Hill.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique individual, not a case number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for your conveyancing in Mill Hill should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.
My partner has urged me to use his conveyancers in Mill Hill. Should I use them?
No doubt the ideal way to select a conveyancing practitioner is to get guidance from friends or family who have previously instructed the solicitor you're contemplating using.
I am looking at a two maisonettes in Mill Hill which have about 50 years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
There is no doubt about it. A leasehold apartment in Mill Hill is a deteriorating asset as a result of the shortening lease. The nearer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it reduces the salability of the premises. For most buyers and lenders, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Mill Hill conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.
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 Mill Hill conveyancing firm to assist?
Most certainly. We can put you in touch with a Mill Hill conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Mill Hill property is Ground Floor Maisonette 17 Milton Road in January 2014. The Tribunal determined the premium payable by the Applicant to the should be £13,299 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 71.73 years.