The North Acton conveyancing solicitors that just started acting on my house acquisition in North Acton have without warning closed. I chose them because I had to have a lawyer on the Nationwide conveyancing panel and my previous North Acton lawyer was not. I paid them £170 in advance. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist.
I am helping my niece sell her property in North Acton. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange the energy assessment or do I organise this?
After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy assessments was retained a compulsory component of moving house. An energy assessment needs to be to hand in advance of the property being put on the market. This is not something that solicitors ordinarily organise. If you are using a North Acton conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with reputable local accredited person
My conveyancer has informed me that defective lease insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in North Acton?
The appropriate level of defective lease indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Lloyds TSB Bank and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.
Having read lots of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local North Acton solicitor - who is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Clydesdale will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Clydesdale will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your North Acton postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Clydesdale, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in North Acton.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in North Acton?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in North Acton. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in North Acton I like with amenity areas and transport links in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in North Acton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
How does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business offices in North Acton and how can your lawyers assist?
The 1954 Act affords protection to business lessees, granting the right to apply to court for a renewal lease and continue in occupation at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing solicitors who use the act for protection and help with commercial conveyancing in North Acton
Am I best advised to instruct a North Acton conveyancing solicitor in close proximity to the house I am hoping to buy? An old friend can deal with the legal formalities but her office is 400kilometers away.
The primary upside of using a high street North Acton conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute paperwork, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who instructed your friend and on the whole were happy that must outweigh using an unknown North Acton conveyancing lawyer just because they are North Acton based.