The Clayhall conveyancing lawyers that just started acting on my purchase in Clayhall have suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I needed a lawyer on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel and my preferred Clayhall lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What should be my next steps?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to help.

I just bought a property at auction in Clayhall. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?

Given that you have now exchanged you will need to find a conveyancing practitioner soon as you are faced with a pending a drop dead date to complete the deal. An auction property should have an associated legal pack. This will likely include most,if not all of the paperwork that your solicitor requires. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal pack may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork relating to a leasehold property. You must give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. You also need to ensure that you have funds in place to complete on the date specified in the contract.

My aunt pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Clayhall there may be a number of restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?

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

Planning on purchasing a flat in Clayhall. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the HSBC 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 Clayhall property lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel.

I need some fast conveyancing in Clayhall as I am under an ultimatum to sign on the dotted line in less than 2 weeks. Luckily I do not need a mortgage. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?

As you are are a cash purchaser you are at free not to have searches conducted although no law firm would suggest that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Clayhall the following are examples of issues that can be revealed and adversely affect the marketability of the property: Refused Planning Applications, Overdue Fees, Overdue Grants, Unadopted Roads,...

Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Clayhall. 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 few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Clayhall

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. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?

I have just appointed agents to market my garden apartment in Clayhall. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, however I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

It best that you discharge the service charge as normal given that all ground rent and maintenance charges will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can one apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Clayhall conveyancing firm to assist?

Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Clayhall conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Clayhall flat is 59 & 59a Clarendon Gardens in February 2014. The Tribunals valuation for the freehold was £30,073.00 The remaining number of years on the lease was 65 and 61.