Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Abingdon. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?

Given that you are now exchanged you now have to appoint a conveyancing practitioner as a matter of urgency as you will have a tight deadline in which to complete the conveyancing. All auction property will ordinarily have a bespoke auction pack. This should include evidence of title and search results. If you have purchased leasehold premises the conveyancing pack should include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation specific to leasehold premises. You must give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor as soon as possible. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

A friend pointed out to me me that in buying a property in Abingdon there may be a number of restrictions prohibiting external changes to a property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Abingdon which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Abingdon should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Abingdon. My financial adviser suggested a . I paid an advanced payment of £225. Soon after, the called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Will my lawyer be making enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Abingdon.

Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors specialising in conveyancing in Abingdon. Some people will buy a house in Abingdon, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Conveyancers are not qualified to give advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous checks that may be initiated by the buyer or by their lawyers which should figure out the risks in Abingdon. The standard property information forms supplied to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual inquiry of the owner to find out whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer could bring a claim for damages as a result of such an incorrect response. The buyer’s conveyancers may also conduct an enviro report. This should reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional investigations should be initiated.

I have todaybeen informed that Stirling Law have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Abingdon for a purchase of a leasehold flat 9 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to check if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Abingdon conveyancing specialists.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Abingdon for my house move. Can I review a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?

You may find presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from investigations commenced on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes recorded call for training requirements.

I am on look out for some leasehold conveyancing in Abingdon. Before I get started I want to be sure as to the remaining lease term.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and 99.9% are in Abingdon - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

I own a studio flat in Abingdon, conveyancing having been completed in 1995. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Abingdon with an extended lease are worth £165,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease runs out on 21st October 50

With only 50 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £36,100 and £41,800 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.