We went with a Grays based lawyer for our conveyancing in Grays last week. After carefully reading the Terms I notewe are on the hook for fees even where the transaction does not complete. Would I be best advised to instruct a web based lawyer advertising no-sale-no-fee conveyancing in Grays?
It is usually a trade off in that if "No Completion No Fee" is available then the fee levels will generally be higher to neutralise the conveyances that abort. Dont forget that these schemes rarely protect you from outlay such your Grays conveyancing search charges.
Me and my brother have a 4 bedroom Georgian property in Grays. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Chelsea Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. Is it worth asking Chelsea Building Society to clarify?
You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Grays and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.
How does conveyancing in Grays differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Grays contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because new home sellers in Grays usually buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Grays or who has acted in the same development.
My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Grays. Conveyancing and Alliance & Leicester mortgage are in place. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1997. The conveyancing solicitor in Grays who previously acted has now retired. Do I pay?
The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to be sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to instruct a Grays conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the rightful landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can a leaseholder apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Grays conveyancing firm to represent me?
Where there is a absentee landlord or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to arrive at the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Grays premises is Various @ Colombus Square in January 2012. the Tribunal calculated the premiums to be paid for new leases for each of the flats in Mariners Walk to be £3822 and the premium to be paid for the new lease of 2 Knights Court to be £4439. This case related to 13 flats. The unexpired term was 76 years.
We are in the process of selling our flat in Grays. Conveyancing is fine but we are being charged a fortune by the landlord. To date we have paid £295.50 for a leasehold management pack and then another £117.20 for answers to questions supplied by the buyers conveyancing practitioner.
Neither you or your conveyancing practitioner will have any say over the extent of the bill for this information but the average fee for the information for Grays leasehold property is £360. When it comes to Grays conveyancing transactions it is standard for the owner to cover the costs. The freeholder or their agents are under no statutory obligation to address such questions although many will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Regretfully there is no legislation that mandates fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any statutory time limit by which they are duty bound to provide the information.