I am assisting my mother sell her property in Bodfari. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange the energy assessment or it is for the owner to see to?

Following the demise of HIPs, EPC’s was maintained a compulsory part of selling a property. An EPC must be to hand prior to the property being placed on the market. It is not a task that lawyers ordinarily arrange. If you are using a Bodfari conveyancing practitioner they might be willing to arrange energy assessments given their relationships with long established local energy assessors

I have a mortgage with Santander for my property in Bodfari. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Santander?

Santander must be informed of your intention prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Santander’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Santander will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Santander directly. You need not do this via a Santander conveyancing panel lawyer.

Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Bodfari. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.

A friend advised me that if I am buying in Bodfari I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Bodfari conveyancing searches. It is a large document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about Bodfari around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Bodfari.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Bodfari is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can give?

Flying freeholds in Bodfari are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Bodfari you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Bodfari may ascertain 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 property.

What does commercial conveyancing in Bodfari cover?

Bodfari conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad array of services, supplied by regulated solicitors, relating to business property. For example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the assignment of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of tenancies.

I own a leasehold flat in Bodfari. Conveyancing and Barnsley Building Society mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Bodfari who previously acted has now retired. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Bodfari conveyancing practitioner to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Bodfari - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Can you inform me if there are any major works on the horizon that will increase the maintenance charges? What prohibitions are there in the Bodfari Lease? In the main the cost for major works tend not to be included within service charges, although some managing agents in Bodfari obliged leaseholders to pay into a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger works.