My partner’s dad is a property lawyer. I anticipate that I will be offered mate’s fee for conveyancing, but if not, what level of figure should I be paying for conveyancing in Southam?
It’s advisable to seek 3 or more like-for-like conveyancing quotes. Make use of our comparison tool on this page. Whilst amounts do be different but service levels do are distinct between conveyancers as is the case with the vast majority of professional services.
It is a dozen years since I acquired my house in Southam. Conveyancing solicitors have just been instructed on the sale but I can't track down my title deeds. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly in most cases the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Southam relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
I have paid off my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Southam property lawyer on the RBS panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your RBS 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 RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, 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 RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Lloyds are being problematic. The Southam solicitor who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Lloyds are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Lloyds have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Lloyds have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Lloyds may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
After what feels like an age I have had an offer on an apartment in Southam accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have a dependent purchase. The sellers have offered on a property, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other properties booked. I have instructed a local conveyancing solicitor in Southam. What should be my next step? At what stage do I apply for the mortgage with Clydesdale?
It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then valuation, Southam conveyancing search costs, etc). The first course of action is to check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Clydesdale approved list. Concerning the subsequent stages this very much dictated by the circumstances of your transaction, attraction to this property and on the state of the market. During a hot market many purchasers will apply for the mortgage with Clydesdale and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they ask their conveyancing practitioner to press on with searches.
What can a local search reveal about the property I am purchasing in Southam?
Southam conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations such as PSG The local search is essential in every Southam conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any nasty once you have moved into your property. The search should reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject sections.
I have recently realised that I have 72 years left on my flat in Southam. I now wish to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?
On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. In some cases a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document to be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Southam.
I own a ground floor flat in Southam, conveyancing formalities finalised January 1996. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Comparable flats in Southam with over 90 years remaining are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2097
With just 71 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Southam.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated however I have just had a quarterly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
The sensible thing to do is pay the maintenance contribution as normal given that all rents and service charges will be allottedon completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage 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 unless 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. This will smooth the conveyancing process