It is is a decade since I purchased my home in Woodford Green. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I can't track down the title deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be with the lender or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Woodford Green relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
My Conveyancer in Woodford Green is not on the Barclays Conveyancing Panel. Can I still continue with my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the Barclays panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Complete the purchase with your existing Woodford Green lawyers but Barclays will need to retain a solicitor on their panel. This will inevitably rack up the total conveyancing charges as well as cause frustration.
- Find a new solicitor to act in the conveyancing, not forgetting to check they are Convince your lawyer to do everything within their powers to join the Barclays conveyancing panel
Will my lawyer be asking questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Woodford Green.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Woodford Green. There are those who purchase a property in Woodford Green, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that can be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should figure out the risks in Woodford Green. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual inquiry of the seller to discover whether the property has suffered from flooding. If the residence has been flooded in past and is not disclosed by the seller, then a purchaser could bring a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate answer. The buyer’s conveyancers may also carry out an environmental report. This will reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be initiated.
The deeds to our property are lost. The solicitors who dealt with the conveyancing in Woodford Green 10 years ago no longer exist. What do I do?
As long as you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be documented by HMLR with a Title Number. It is easy to carry out a search at the Land Registry, find your property and secure up to date copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. Where the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a certified copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for a small fee.
How does conveyancing in Woodford Green differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Woodford Green come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is built. This is because new home sellers in Woodford Green usually buy the real estate, 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 Woodford Green or who has acted in the same development.
I have been sourcing a conveyancing solicitor in Woodford Green for my home move. Is it possible to see a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
Members of the public may search for published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may recorded telephone calls for training requirements.