My colleague advised me that where I am buying in Limehouse I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Limehouse conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Limehouse around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Limehouse.
Me and my brother purchased a semi-detached Georgian property in Limehouse. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Chelsea Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Limehouse and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also check the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.
Do I need to be suspicious about estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a national conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Limehouse conveyancing practice?
As is the case with many service providers, often suggestions from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. Nevertheless there are numerous players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies might all recommend lawyers to appoint. Sometimes these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there is an underlying financial incentive behind the endorsement. You have the right to select your own conveyancer. Don't forget that many lenders specify a panel list of conveyancers you must use for the lender aspect of your transaction.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Limehouse. I happened to land on a site which looks to be the ideal answer If there is a chance to get all this stuff completed via web that would be ideal. Do I need to be wary? What should out be looking out for?
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?
Harry (my fiance) and I may need to let out our Limehouse basement flat for a while due to a new job. We used a Limehouse conveyancing practice in 2002 but they have since shut and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease permits subletting. How do we find out?
A lease governs relations between the landlord and you the flat owner; specifically, it will indicate if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain caveats. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Limehouse do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the flat. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a copy of the tenancy agreement.
Having spent months of correspondence we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Limehouse. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
in cases where there is a absentee landlord or where there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the LVT to judgment on the sum to be paid.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Limehouse premises is 26 Rhondda Grove in June 2009. The net price payable by the leaseholders as determined by the Tribunal was £3,015.13. This comprised £11,300 premium for the reversion less £8,284.87 costs as ordered by the County Court.