Why do I have to pay up front for conveyancing in Mile End?

If you are buying a property in Mile End your lawyer will request that you put them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. If any deposit is as part of the sale price then this should be asked for shortly in advance of exchange of contracts. The closing balance that is needed should be sent to your lawyer a few days prior to the day of completion.

I am considering refinancing my property in Mile End, does my lawyer have to be on the HSBC Solicitor panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but HSBC will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

Just acquired a terraced house in Mile End , how long should it take for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing the transfer to my name? My Mile End conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to check the registration is addressed.

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Mile End registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can vary depending on the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any other parties. At present approximately three quarters of such applications are fully dealt with within two weeks but occasionally there can be longer delays. Registration is effected after the purchaser is living at the premises thus an expedited registration is not usually primary concern but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

I have just appointed agents to market my 2 bed apartment in Mile End. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge demand – Do I pay up?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the service charge as usual given that all ground rent and service payments should be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice 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. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

Having spent months of dialogue we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Mile End. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

in cases where there is a missing landlord or if there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the sum to be paid.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Mile End flat is 26 Rhondda Grove in June 2009. The net price payable by the leaseholders as determined by the Tribunal was £3,015.13. This comprised £11,300 premium for the reversion less £8,284.87 costs as ordered by the County Court.

My husband and I have just had an offer accepted on our 1st house in Mile End, and are now looking to get solicitors lined up. I have made use of the numerous rating based websites and the fee estimates are from all across the country. Is it important to have a Mile End lawyer local to our prospective property? I am content to do everything over the web, but I guess at some point we may be required to attend the conveyancing practitioner's office to sign contracts?

The conveyancing practitioner does not have to be in Mile End, but opting for local means that you can attend their offices if needed, by way of example, if a signature is immediately necessary. Furthermore, a Mile End solicitor have established relationships with local agents and (if the vendor has instructed a local lawyer) with them, which should help keep things moving faster.