I require conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (five years built) in St Albans. The vast majority the appartments have already been sold. Is it strictly necessary to order local searches as part of conveyancing in St Albans?
You would be opening yourself up to an unnecessary risk in refusing to carrying out St Albans conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying without a mortgage there is no legal requirement to have them, but we would strongly advise in no uncertain terms that your conveyancer conducts them. If time pressures and cost are top of your concerns you should consider with your solicitor about the possibility of search insurance
Completed the sale of my flat in St Albans last August but the buyer keeps texting daily complaining that his conveyancer needs to hear from mine. What should have happened now that I have sold?
After completion of your sale your lawyer is obliged to send the transfer documentation and all of the paperwork to the buyer’s conveyancer. Where appropriate, your lawyer should also confirm that the home loan has been discharged to the buyers lawyers. There are no post completion requirements just for conveyancing in St Albans.
What does a local search tell me concerning the house my wife and I purchasing in St Albans?
St Albans conveyancing often starts with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for example Searchflow The local search is essential in every St Albans conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search will provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable 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 13 topic sections.
Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in St Albans before instructing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor advised that some banks tend refuse to issue a mortgage on such a premises.
It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can look into this further via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in St Albans. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in St Albans especially if they are accustomed to such properties in St Albans.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandmother I am disposing of a house in Cardiff but live in St Albans. My conveyancer (approximately 200 miles from meneeds me to sign a stat dec ahead of completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in St Albans who can attest and place their company stamp on the document?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in St Albans
Our conveyancer has advised that he intends to complete and exchange simultaneously on the disposal of our £475,000 flat in St Albans next Monday. The landlords agents has quoted £312 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in St Albans?
St Albans conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes usually necessitates the purchaser’s conveyancer submitting enquiries for the landlord to answer. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to answer these enquiries most will be content to assist. They may levy a reasonable charge for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average fee for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it exceeds £800. The management information fee required by the landlord must be sent together with a summary of entitlements and obligations in respect of administration fees, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has little option but to pay whatever is requested of you should you wish to sell the property.
St Albans Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying
-
Are any of leasehold owners in arrears of their service charge liability? How many years remain on the lease? Is the freehold owned jointly by the leaseholders?