I am expecting a offer of a home loan from Lloyds. I intend to retain the legal services of a Licensed Conveyancer in South Kensington. Does the Lloyds Solicitor panel include conveyancers regulated by the CLC?
The Lloyds approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
Do the conveyancing solicitors listed on your site perform attended exchange conveyancing in South Kensington?
There are a few conveyancing specialists who can conduct personalised exchanges. Do contact us to receive a fee calculation and details as to dates.
I have an AIP. The bank mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to use their panel lawyer as I would much rather use a South Kensington based conveyancing firm?
You should check but the the likelihood is that give you one of their panel conveyancers should you take up the "fee-free" offer. Speak to the lender to ask if they offer you a cash alternative. Some banks have previously offered a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case you could put that amount towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor in South Kensington.
The deeds to my house are lost. The lawyers who conducted the conveyancing in South Kensington 10 years ago are no longer around. What are my options?
Gone are the days when you need to hold title original deeds to prove you are the registered proprietor of land or premises, as the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
How does conveyancing in South Kensington differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in South Kensington approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is constructed. This is because builders in South Kensington usually buy 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 property lawyers 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 used to new build conveyancing in South Kensington or who has acted in the same development.
I've recently bought a leasehold flat in South Kensington. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner 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 be sure 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).
I am the registered owner of a a ground floor purpose built flat in South Kensington. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the sum due for a lease extension?
Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a South Kensington conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a South Kensington property is Flat 16 21/22 Stanhope Gardens in November 2010. the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal concluded that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, was £106,975 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 51.93 years.