How up to date is your search tool for Bedford Hill conveyancing solicitors on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? Do Virgin Money send you an updated list?

Bedford Hill conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Virgin Money directly.

Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Bedford Hill. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?

Having exchanged you must retain a conveyancing practitioner quickly as you are faced with a tight deadline in which to complete the conveyancing. An auction property will ordinarily have an associated legal set of papers. This will likely include most,if not all of the documents that your conveyancer will need. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the auction pack may provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing documentation pertinent to a leasehold property. You should give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that your finances are in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

It is not clear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Bedford Hill bank branch on a couple of occasions and was informed it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Bedford Hill conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Provided that the lawyer is on the mortgage company panel, she or he must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

Intending to buy a apartment in Bedford Hill. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the RBS conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Bedford Hill property lawyer is on the RBS conveyancing panel.

I have been told that property searches are the number one cause of delay in Bedford Hill conveyancing transactions. Is this right?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the top 10 causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are not likely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Bedford Hill.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Bedford Hill. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Bedford Hill

Please supply a car parking plan. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease.

Last October I purchased a leasehold house in Bedford Hill. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I am the proprietor of a ground-floor 1950’s flat in Bedford Hill. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for a lease extension?

in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to calculate the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Bedford Hill flat is First Floor Flat 152a Ramsden Road in June 2009. The net result of the tribunals calculation produced a premium payable of £23,975. This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 56.67 years.