The owners of the house we are purchasing have appointed a conveyancing firm in Chard who has suggested a exclusivity agreement with a down payment 6,000. Are such agreements sensible?

This form of preliminary agreement is unusual in Chard, conveyancers are not keen on them as they divert attention from the main conveyancing focus and if you end up having your deposit forfeited then the solicitor at best left with an upset client and at worst a litigious one. In addition, there is no assurance that just because the owner has executed a lock out agreement they will complete the sale with you. They may breach the contract if they receive a big enough financial inducement to do so because an aggrieved party with the benefit of a lockoutcontract will still be obliged show losses as a consequence of the breach and these may not equalise the financial upside that the owner may secure by reneging on the contract, however morally reprehensible the behaviour is.

Should commercial conveyancing searches disclose planned roadworks that may affect a commercial property in Chard?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Chard will carry out a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers spend in researching accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Chard. The report provides definitive data 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 Chard.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Chard it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately may result in delays to Chard commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Chard.

I am 14 days into a residential purchase having been referred to solicitors by the selling agent to execute conveyancing in Chard. I am not happy. Could you you assist me in finding new lawyers?

They would need to be very poor in order to consider diss instructing them. Has your loan offer been sent? If so you must make them aware of the new contact details and get the mortgage documents are re-sent. Your new conveyancer should be on the lenders approved list to avoid added fees and frustration. That should be your starting point. Our search tool should assist you in finding a lender approved solicitor for your home move in Chard

I would like to let out my leasehold flat in Chard. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?

Even though your previous Chard conveyancing lawyer is no longer available you can review your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the property. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to seek consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without prior consent. The consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If your lease does not allow you to sublet you will need to ask your landlord for their consent.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Chard - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Many Chard leasehold properties will have a service bill for maintenance of the block levied by the management company. If you buy the flat you will have to pay this amount, usually quarterly throughout the year. This can differ from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a exorbitant figure, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to check it because occasionally it can be many hundreds of pounds. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? How is the lease structured?

Developers have suggested I use a lawyer and I've received a quote from them. They are nearly £300 less expensive than my family Chard solicitor. Should I use them?

Builders frequently have panels of lawyers who expedite matters and who know the seller’s documentation and solicitor. Plenty of developers offer an inducement to choose a preferred conveyancer for this reason, any increased charges can be avoided and a builder will not suggest a conveyancing warehouse and run the risk of having the transaction delayed when they want exchange within a tight deadline. A counter-argument for not agreeing to use the suggested solicitor is that they may be unwilling to fight for your interests at the risk of alienating the housebuilder. Where you have concerns that this may be the situation you should keep with your local Chard conveyancer.