The Teddington conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my purchase in Teddington have without warning closed. They were on acting for me because I had to have a lawyer on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel and my preferred Teddington lawyer was not. I paid them £170 on account. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to help.
Is it correct that all Teddington CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel?
Some major lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Nationwide. I assume I don't need a Teddington conveyancing practitioner on the Nationwide panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Nationwide 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 Nationwide mortgage from the register. Nationwide, 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 Nationwide has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Nationwide has instructed the Land Registry to do so
After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Teddington. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an upfront payment of £150. Soon after, the property lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Kent Reliance 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 Kent Reliance 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.
Will commercial conveyancing searches disclose impending roadworks that may affect a commercial premises in Teddington?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Teddington will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers spend in looking into accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Teddington. The search result provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Teddington.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Teddington it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Teddington commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not carried out for domestic conveyancing in Teddington.
How does conveyancing in Teddington differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Teddington come to us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because builders in Teddington tend to acquire the site, 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 property lawyers 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 Teddington or who has acted in the same development.
I am using a search engine for the words conveyancing in Teddington it reveals many property lawyersin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancing solicitor for my move?
The ideal way of seeking a suitable conveyancer is via trusted referral, so seek the guidance of colleagues and relatives who have acquired a property in Teddington or the reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in Teddington differ, so it's a good idea to request a minimum of three quotes from different conveyancers. Be sure to obtain confirmation what costs in the quote includes.
Last July I purchased a leasehold house in Teddington. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
We have reached the end of our tether in negotiating a lease extension in Teddington. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Teddington conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Teddington premises is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case affected 1 flat.