My solicitor has discovered a defect with the lease for the flat we are buying in Northwood. The other side have suggested title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor says that he must be satisfied that the mortgage company is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the mortgage company ?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the mortgage company are the client. Your conveyancing practitioner must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the mortgage company can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
Are the Northwood conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the HSBC conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by HSBC?
Northwood conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from HSBC directly.
A relative recommended that if I am buying in Northwood I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Northwood conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Northwood around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Northwood Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Northwood Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Northwood.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Northwood?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Northwood. 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…’
About to purchase a new build flat in Northwood. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Northwood
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Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose?
Should local authority consent be needed to convert a house into multiple flats in Northwood? This has been done to a property opposite to my home in Northwood and was ignorant of it happening until it was complete.
Planning consent is needed for splitting a single dwelling in Northwood into apartments but probably not for reverting back to single dwelling-house so, simply put, yes.