I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Northwich for our home move. Our broker informed us that our bank Barclays Direct won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unduly restrictive?
Banks in the main imposes restrictions either the category or the number of conveyancing practices on their approved list of lawyers. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the profile of firm, a few banks have limited the amount of firms they permit to act for them. You should note that Barclays Direct have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Barclays Direct Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a primary driver in the reduction of solicitor panels since 2008 even though there remains mixed views about the level of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Figures from the Land Registry reveal that hundreds of law firms, including some in or near Northwich only perform a couple conveyances per annum.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our house can not be found. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Northwich 5 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?
As long as you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be recorded by HMLR under a Title Number. It is easy to execute 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 usually hold a certified copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for a small fee.
How does conveyancing in Northwich differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Northwich approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is built. This is because builders in Northwich typically 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Northwich or who has acted in the same development.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Northwich is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Northwich are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Northwich you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Northwich 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.
As co-executor for the estate of my grandmother I am selling a property in Cardiff but reside in Northwich. My conveyancer (approximately 200 miles awayrequires that I sign a statutory declaration ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Northwich who can attest and place their company stamp on the document?
Technically speaking you are not likely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Northwich based
I have just started marketing my basement flat in Northwich. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have just received a quarterly service charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the invoice as normal because all rents and maintenance invoices should be allotted on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I invested in buying a 2 bed flat in Northwich, conveyancing having been completed August 2008. How much will my lease extension cost? Corresponding properties in Northwich with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 charged once a year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2081
With only 56 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £29,500 and £34,000 plus legals.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other 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 based on this information before getting professional advice.