My husband and I are acquiring a newly constructed apartment in Wood Green and my lawyer is informing me that she has to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the seller. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange contracts and my preference is not to delay deal. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your solicitor. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
I purchased a freehold residence in Wood Green but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Wood Green and has limited impact for conveyancing in Wood Green but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
This question may be naive but I am wet behind the ears as a first time purchaser of a ground floor flat in Wood Green. Do I receive the keys to the house on the completion date from my solicitor? If so, I will use a High Street conveyancing solicitor in Wood Green?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the purchase money to the seller's solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be invited to pick up the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.
I am buying a property in Wood Green. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Co-operative be concerned?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Co-operative your lawyer must check the formal instructions contained in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Co-operative. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Co-operative where a lease fails to meet these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Wood Green.
I have a mortgage with Leeds Building Society for my property in Wood Green. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Leeds Building Society?
Your original mortgage agreement with Leeds Building Society will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Leeds Building Society’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Leeds Building Society will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Leeds Building Society directly. You need not do this via a Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel lawyer.
It has been five months following my purchase conveyancing in Wood Green concluded. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £175,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the asset from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for freehold conveyancing in Wood Green. I happened to stumble upon a web site which looks to be the ideal offering If there is a chance to get all this stuff completed via web that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?
I am looking at a couple of flats in Wood Green which have approximately 50 years unexpired on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Wood Green is a wasting asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the property. For most buyers and banks, leases with less than 75 years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Wood Green conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.
I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without success. Can I apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Wood Green conveyancing firm to help?
if there is a absentee freeholder or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to assess the price payable.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Wood Green residence is First Floor Flat 109 Lyndhurst Road in May 2010. Following a vesting order by Edmonton County Court on 29th October 2009 the Tribunal decided on a figure of £5,012 for a lease extension. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 81.79 years.