My solicitor has informed me that chancel insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Birchgrove?

The right level of chancel indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Santander and Bank of Scotland. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.

We previously instructed solicitors located in Birchgrove on the Santander solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a further sum for dealing with the Santander mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Santander?

Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your lawyer can levy a fee for this. This charge is not set by Santander but by your Birchgrove property lawyer. Numerous firms on the Santander panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.

My partner and I have arranged the release of further funds on our mortgage from Nationwide as we want to conduct renovations to our home in Birchgrove. Do we need to choose a nearby Birchgrove solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?

Nationwide would not normally require firms on their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nationwide panel.

Will commercial conveyancing searches disclose proposed roadworks that may affect a commercial premises in Birchgrove?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Birchgrove will carry out a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers spend in researching accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Birchgrove. The search result sets out definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Birchgrove.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Birchgrove it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Birchgrove commercial conveyancing transactions as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Birchgrove.

The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Birchgrove. 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 legal work.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Birchgrove

Please supply a car parking plan. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? 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. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on last month in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Birchgrove is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Birchgrove are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Birchgrove you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Birchgrove may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Birchgrove. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, 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).

Birchgrove Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

How much is the yearly service fee and ground rent? Does the lease contain onerous restrictions?