Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Portland costs more?
The conveyancing fees for a leasehold premises in Portland is frequently higher as compared to a freehold residence. This is because there is an amount of additional work necessary in liaising with the freeholder and management company to collate the information concerning whether the rent and service charges have been paid and whether there are any major works due in the foreseeable future on repairs or maintenance of the building.
I am purchasing a new build flat in Portland. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Portland you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Portland.
I have paid off my mortgage with Bank of Ireland. I assume I don't need a Portland solicitor on the Bank of Ireland panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Bank of Ireland mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Bank of Ireland mortgage from the register. Bank of Ireland, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Bank of Ireland has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Bank of Ireland has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Portland. I have a mortgage agreed with Barclays. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.
I can not work out if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Portland building society branch on numerous occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Portland conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. Who do I believe?
Provided that the property lawyer is on the mortgage company panel, they must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
I have todaybecome aware that Wolstenholmes have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Portland for a purchase of a leasehold flat 12 months ago. How can I establish that the property is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The easiest method to check if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Portland conveyancing specialists.
How difficult is it to transfer to a new firm as I have to select a firm on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel. I was using a local conveyancing solicitor in Portland five minutes from me but the firm is not accepted by Bank of Scotland
It would be our pleasure to help you find a conveyancing solicitor in Portland on the Bank of Scotland panel. Please note that the solicitors that we work with do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are authorised and regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Portland. Using search facility on this website, you can contrast fees for conveyancing solicitors in Portland and beyond.
We are thinking of choosing a web based property lawyer rather than a Portland conveyancing practice. Should I ‘stay local’?
Advantages do exist in being able to attend a local Portland conveyancing solicitor for instance
- signing papers and and when necessary
- having one on one explanations of matters that need explaining
- the ability to raise concerns if matters need to addressed
When checking estimates, look carefully for hidden extras. The majority decent Portland high street solicitors give an all-inclusive price. Often online companies appear to offer discounted prices, yet have burried 'extras' in the fine print.