When can the exchange of contracts occur in residential conveyancing in Sidcup and am I required to attend the conveyancers office?
If you are round the corner to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Sidcup you are invited in to sign the paperwork. However, the firms we recommend supply a countrywide conveyancing service and give as equally detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you digitally. The executing of the contract is not the important part. Signing on the dotted line is necessary for the conveyancer to exchange contracts when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where an extended "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Sidcup)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Sidcup. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
Planning on purchasing a maisonette in Sidcup. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Principality conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Sidcup conveyancing practitioner is on the Principality conveyancing panel.
I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Sidcup solicitor - who is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Nottingham will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nottingham 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 solicitor 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 Sidcup postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Nottingham, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Sidcup.
Will my solicitor be asking questions concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Sidcup.
Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Sidcup. There are those who purchase a property in Sidcup, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that can be initiated by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which can figure out the risks in Sidcup. The standard property information forms given to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard question of the vendor to find out if the property has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer may bring a compensation claim stemming from an misleading response. The purchaser’s lawyers may also order an environmental search. This will higlight whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further investigations will need to be carried out.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Sidcup ahead of instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some banks tend refuse to grant a mortgage on such a house.
It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions for example to Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can check with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Sidcup. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
I'm refinancing my existing property to a buy to let mortgage with Halifax and intend to use the remaining equity as a down payment on a second house. The location we are talking about is Sidcup. Will your lawyers be able to act for both sets of banks and link together the two deals?
Make use of our search tool on this page to be sure that the solicitors are on the appropriate lender panels. On the basis that they are the lawyer will be able to tie up the two deals but you should talk with you solicitor and make apparent your expectations and requirements.
Last February I purchased a leasehold property in Sidcup. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
After months of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Sidcup. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to determine the price.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Sidcup residence is 103a Footscray Road in January 2014. The tribunal determines that the premium payable for the extended lease should be £34,500 according to the expert witness valuation calculation This case affected 1 flat.