I decided to go with a local firm for my conveyancing in Suffolk last week. Looking through the terms of engagement it is apparent thatI am liable for charges even if the sale aborts. Should I ditch them and select an internet firm advertising no-sale-no-fee conveyancing in Suffolk?
Generally there is a concession along the lines that if "No Completion No Fee" is offered then the conveyancing charges will generally be higher to counteract the conveyances that fail to complete. Dont forget that these promotions generally do not protect you from expenses by way of example Suffolk conveyancing search costs.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is removed from the RBS Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Suffolk?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Suffolk but how do I know who I should use?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Suffolk conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
How can we tell if a Suffolk conveyancing solicitor on the Leeds Building Society panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Suffolk getting recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the lawyer handling your transaction.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Suffolk. My mortgage broker suggested a property lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £150. A couple of days later, the solicitor called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Aldermore panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Suffolk is the location of the property. Can you offer any advice?
Flying freeholds in Suffolk are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Suffolk you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Suffolk may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
We're novice buyers - agreed a price, but the selling agent informed us that the seller will only proceed if we appoint their chosen conveyancers as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Suffolk
We suspect that the owner is unaware of this demand. Should the owner desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Speak to the vendors direct and explain that (a)you are genuine buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you are going to use your own,trusted Suffolk conveyancing firm - not the ones that will provide the negotiator at the agency a referral fee or meet his conveyancing figures set by head office.
I am a negotiator for a long established estate agency in Suffolk where we have experienced a few leasehold sales derailed due to short leases. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Suffolk conveyancing solicitors. Could you clarify whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the buyer?
Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to kick-start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.
Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Suffolk - Sample of Queries before Purchasing
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It is important to be aware if fixing the lift or some other major work is due shortly that will be shared between the leasehold owners and could well dramatically impact the level of the maintenance fees or require a one off payment. Is there a share of the freehold? How much is the annual maintenance fee and ground rent?