Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in St Asaph is not identified on my lender's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of her conveyancing?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should simply call the St Asaph conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
I am considering applying for a Aldermore mortgage for purchase of a new build (under development) in St Asaph with 70% LTV. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Aldermore ?
In theory, you could use a solicitor that is not on the Aldermore conveyancing panel, but Aldermore would require one of their panel solicitors to be instructed to act in their interests, and you'd have to pay for this - so most people instruct a panel solicitor. It's also easier, as otherwise you'd have to deal with two solicitors for the same transaction.
Should my solicitor be raising questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in St Asaph.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers specialising in conveyancing in St Asaph. Plenty of people will purchase a property in St Asaph, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.
Conveyancers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous searches that may be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in St Asaph. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a usual question of the seller to find out if the premises has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the vendor, then a purchaser could issue a claim for damages resulting from an incorrect response. The buyer’s conveyancers will also commission an enviro search. This will higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional investigations will need to be initiated.
It has been 4 months since my purchase conveyancing in St Asaph took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the asset from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
Am I better off to go with a St Asaph conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? We have a good friend who can conduct the legal work but they are based 200miles drive away.
The benefit of a local St Asaph conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to sign paperwork, hand in your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local St Asaph know how is a bonus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and in the main were happy that should surpass using an unfamiliar St Asaph conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.
I’m about to sell my garden apartment in St Asaph. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have recently had a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
The sensible thing to do is discharge the service charge as usual given that all ground rent and service payments should be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I am the registered owner of a 2 bed flat in St Asaph, conveyancing formalities finalised 10 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in St Asaph with a long lease are worth £186,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 levied per year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2079
With just 53 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £27,600 and £31,800 plus costs.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.