It is is a decade since I bought my property in St Pancras. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I am unable to track down the title deeds. Will this cause complications?
Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be kept by the mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the conveyancers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in St Pancras relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it is more tricky but is not insurmountable.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as a 1st time purchaser of a ground floor flat in St Pancras. Do I pick up the keys to the house on completion from my lawyer? If so, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in St Pancras?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will arrange to send the purchase money to the vendor’s conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be invited to receive the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. Usually this occurs early afternoon.
My father advised me that in purchasing a property in St Pancras there could be various restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external alterations to a property. Is this right?
We are aware of a number of properties in St Pancras which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external variations. Part of the conveyancing in St Pancras should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local St Pancras solicitor - who is on the RBS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
RBS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually RBS 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 conveyancing practitioner 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 St Pancras postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with RBS, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in St Pancras.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in St Pancras?
Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in St Pancras. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
About to purchase a new build apartment in St Pancras. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in St Pancras
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Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandfather I am selling a property in Neath but reside in St Pancras. My lawyer (approximately 300 kilometers awayrequires that I execute a stat dec before completion. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in St Pancras to witness this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or solicitor will do regardless of whether they are St Pancras based
At what stage do I pay stamp duty chargeable for my house transaction in St Pancras?
The majority of conveyancers will fill out a Land Transaction Return Form on your behalf as part of your St Pancras purchase transaction for signature. On completion your conveyancer will submit the STL Return Form to the Tax Authorities and - assuming they have the money - settle any Stamp Duty liability on your behalf.