Will my conveyancer be asking questions concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Dunmow.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers specialising in conveyancing in Dunmow. There are those who buy a house in Dunmow, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that may be undertaken by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which can figure out the risks in Dunmow. The standard completed inquiry forms sent to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual inquiry of the owner to determine whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the premises has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the seller, then a buyer may bring a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate reply. The purchaser’s solicitors may also conduct an environmental report. This will higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be initiated.

I have justbeen informed that Arc property Solicitors have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Dunmow for a purchase of a freehold house 10 months ago. How can I check that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to see if the premises is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Dunmow conveyancing specialists.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Dunmow is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Dunmow 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 Dunmow you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Dunmow 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 residence.

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Dunmow with the aim of speeding up the sale process?

• Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Dunmow can be bypassed where you get in touch lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the buyers’ conveyancers.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example installed wooden flooring? Most leases in Dunmow state that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence from the Landlord approving such changes. Where you fail to have the consents in place you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your solicitor in the first instance. If you have had conflict with your landlord or managing agents it is essential that these are resolved prior to the flat being put on the market. The purchasers and their solicitors will be reluctant to purchase a property where a dispute is ongoing. You may have to bite the bullet and discharge any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to completion of the sale. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled ahead of the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal details of the dispute to the buyers, but it is better to present the dispute as over as opposed to ongoing. Some Dunmow leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this is the case, you should notify your estate agents to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference will need to confirm that the buyers are financially capable of paying the yearly 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 actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their lawyers.

Dunmow Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before buying

In the main the cost for major works are not included within service charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Dunmow obliged leasehold owners to contribute towards a sinking fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for larger repairs or maintenance. Plenty Dunmow leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service bill for maintenance of the block invoiced by the management company. If you purchase the property you will have to meet this charge, normally periodically accross the year. This may be anything from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a significant amount, say about £25-£75 but you should to check as sometimes it can be prohibitively expensive. Does the lease have more than 80 years left?

My partner and I are purchasing a 2 bedroom flat in Dunmow. At the time of instructing our property lawyer, they said that they were on all major UK mortgage company panels. The mortgage broker emailed yesterday to say that they don't seem to be on the Leeds Building Society approved list. Were it to be true, what should we do? Do we simply choose a different lawyer that is on their approved list or should we pay for separate representation, with Leeds Building Society selecting their own preferred conveyancing practitioner.

Where you are purchasing a property requiring a mortgage it is standard for the buyer’s solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a conveyancing practitioner has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the property lawyer to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the property lawyer has to satisfy. Some lenders now insist their panel firms to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should call Leeds Building Society to find out if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on Leeds Building Society's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Dunmow lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.