My partner and I have lately purchased a house in Cookley. We have since encountered a number of issues with the house which we consider were omitted in the conveyancing searches. What action can we take? What searches should? have been ordered as part of conveyancing in Cookley?

It is not clear from the question as what problems have arisen and if they are specific to conveyancing in Cookley. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken as part of the legal transfer of property are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, the vendor fills in a form referred to as a SPIF. If the information is incorrect, then you may have a claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Cookley.

I am selling my house in Cookley. Will the property lawyer need to be required to be on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel in order to deal with repayment of my mortgage?

Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently in recent years.

I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our home in Cookley and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. A high street Cookley lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a factory type conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Cookley. We have lived in Cookley for six years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Cookley with the aim of expediting the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Cookley can be reduced where you get in touch lawyers as soon as your agents start advertising the property and request that they start to put together the leasehold documentation which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors.
If you have the benefit of shareholding in the freehold, you should ensure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a duplicate share certificate can be a time consuming process and delays many a Cookley conveyancing transaction. If a reissued share certificate is needed, do contact the company officers or managing agents (where relevant) for this as soon as possible. Many freeholders or managing agents in Cookley charge for supplying management packs for a leasehold property. You or your lawyers should enquire as to the actual amount of the charges. The management information can be applied for on or before finding a buyer, thus accelerating the process. The typical amount of time it takes to obtain the necessary information is three weeks. It is the most usual cause of delay in leasehold conveyancing in Cookley. A minority of Cookley leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain financial (bank) and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but it would be wise to verify this via your lawyers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the remaining number of years is under 75 years. In the circumstances it is important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale.

Cookley Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

Does the lease include onerous restrictions? Plenty Cookley leasehold flats will incur a service charge for maintenance of the building levied by the freeholder. If you buy the flat you will have to meet this amount, usually periodically throughout the year. This can be anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. There will also be a rentcharge for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large sum, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it could be prohibitively expensive. How many years remain on the lease?

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Cookley.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a quarterly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you discharge the service charge as usual given that all rents and service invoices should be apportionedas 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 subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless 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