My solicitor has uncovered a defect with the lease for the apartment we are buying in Westminster. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our property lawyer says that he must ensure that the bank is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the risk of a conflict of interest, you and the bank are the client. Your lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the lender can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Westminster is more expensive?
Westminster leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.
We hope to to buy with Darlington Building Society. We have called around locally yet cant to find a Westminster conveyancing firm on the Darlington Building Society approved list. Please you help?
Feel free to make the most of the search tool on this page. Pick the building society and type Westminster or your location and you will see a number of lawyer based in Westminster or nearest you.
We are purchasing a apartment in Westminster. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we have to deposit funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
We are aiming to move property in July. Will my conveyancing solicitor call the removal company on the completion day. Incidentally, can you recommend a removal company in Westminster. Conveyancing solicitor was organised before I stumbled across this website.
On the afternoon of completion you will need to collect the keys from the property agent however this should only take place once the vendors conveyancers confirm to the agent that they have the completion monies and the keys can be collected. Subsequently you will need to inform the removal men that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a specific removal organisation but can assist you in choosing a conveyancing in Westminster or a solicitor that specialises in conveyancing in Westminster.
We are getting the release of further funds on our mortgage from Aldermore as we wish to conduct a loft conversion to our house in Westminster. Do we need to select a local Westminster solicitor on the Aldermore conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Aldermore do not ordinarily require a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.
How simple is it to use the search tool to find a conveyancing solicitor in Westminster on the authorised to act for my bank?
First select a lender such as Barclays , Barnsley Building Society or Clydesdale then specify your location such as Westminster. Conveyancing firms in Westminster and beyond will then be identified.
Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years remaining on my lease in Westminster. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?
If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have done all that could be expected to track down the landlord. For most situations a specialist should be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Westminster.
I have given up negotiating a lease extension in Westminster. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Westminster conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Westminster residence is Flats 12A & 19, Evelyn Mansions Carlisle Place in June 2009. The Tribunal held that the price to be paid for the new lease of Flat 12A is £168,824, For the other flat the price was set at £169,110 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 56 years.