Completed the sale of my flat in Suffolk last January yet the purchaser is SMS messaging daily to say his conveyancer needs to hear from mylawyer. What should my lawyer have done now that I have sold?
After completion of your sale your conveyancer is committed to deliver the transfer documentation and all supplemental paperwork to the purchaser's solicitors. Depending on the transaction, your conveyancer should also send confirmation that the mortgage has been redeemed to the buyers solicitors. There are no post completion requirements specific conveyancing in Suffolk.
Can I be sure that the Suffolk conveyancing solicitor on the Bank of Ireland panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Suffolk seeking 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 which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor conducting your conveyancing.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with HSBC. I assume I don't need a Suffolk lawyer on the HSBC panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your HSBC 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 HSBC mortgage from the register. HSBC, 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 HSBC has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- HSBC has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Kent Reliance. Is it usual for Kent Reliance to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Suffolk is approved on their conveyancing panel? Kent Reliance have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurance Schedule.
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Kent Reliance to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I used Arc property Solicitors several years past for my conveyancing in Suffolk. I now require my file but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Suffolk of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How does conveyancing in Suffolk differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Suffolk come to us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is completed. This is because house builders in Suffolk usually purchase the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Suffolk or who has acted in the same development.
I opted to have a survey carried out on a house in Suffolk ahead of retaining conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions from Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can look into this further via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Suffolk. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
What makes a Suffolk lease defective?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Suffolk. Most leases are individual and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are not included. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:
-
A duty to insure the building
You could encounter a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, Coventry Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. If a mortgage lender believes that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to pull out.
I bought a studio flat in Suffolk, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Equivalent properties in Suffolk with an extended lease are worth £176,000. The ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease finishes on 21st October 2105
With only 80 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £7,600 and £8,800 plus costs.
The figure above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.