Much to our surprise we have been notified by our IFA that my Tunstall the law firm I have appointed is not on the lender Conveyancing panel. How can I be sure if this is correct?
The first thing you need to do is to call your Tunstall lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to inform you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Tunstall conveyancing practice that is on the conveyancing panel for your lender.
I am need of leasehold conveyancing for a flat in a relatively new development (seven years built) in Tunstall. Almost all the properties have already been occupied. Do I need carry out the conveyancing searches for my conveyancing in Tunstall?
You are putting yourself at risk in refusing to carrying out Tunstall conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying without a mortgage there is no legal necessity to have them, but we would strongly advise in no uncertain terms that you have them. Where timings and driving down costs are top of your concerns you should discuss with your lawyer about the options such as indemnity insurance available to you
I have a decision in principle. The lender mentioned the loan came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to use their panel lawyer as I would much rather instruct a Tunstall based conveyancing firm?
Do check but the the probability is that allocate you one of their panel solicitors where you take up the "fee-free" incentive. Contact the mortgage company to determine if they offer you a cash alternative. In the past a few lenders offered a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor near Tunstall.
Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Tunstall. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Birmingham Midshires. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Tunstall and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one near me in Tunstall I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Tunstall in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor concerning this matter.
Jane (my partner) and I may need to sub-let our Tunstall 1st floor flat temporarily due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Tunstall conveyancing firm in 2004 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?
A small minority of properties in Tunstall do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord cannot unreasonably withhold but, in such cases, they would need to see references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.
Tunstall Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing
-
Is the freehold owned jointly by the leaseholders? It is important to be aware whether fixing the lift or some other major work is pending that will be shared by the leasehold owners and will materially impact the level of the service charges or result in a one time payment. How much is the service charge and ground rent on the flat?