I went with a local lawyer for our conveyancing in Mill Hill last week. Reviewing the terms of engagement it is apparent thatwe are liable for fees even if the movedoes not happen. Should I go with them or instruct an on-line conveyancing brokerage promoting no-sale-no-fee conveyancing in Mill Hill?

Generally there is a compromise along the lines that if "No Sale No Fee" is advertised then the conveyancing charges will generally be higher to neutralise those conveyances that do not proceed. Please beware that these promotions tend not to cover expenditure for instance Mill Hill conveyancing search expenses.

My wife and I are buying a newly constructed duplex in Mill Hill and my lawyer is informing me that she is duty bound to the lender to disclose incentives from the builder. I am under pressure to exchange and I have no desire to delay deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your property lawyer. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Mill Hill? Why is this being asked of me?

It is indeed that case that these requests have nothing to do with conveyancing in Mill Hill. Nowadays you can not complete any conveyancing transaction if you have not providing evidence of your identity. Ordinarily this takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence and a utility bill. Remember if you are supplying your driving licence as evidence of ID it needs to be both the paper element and photo card part, one is not sufficient in the absence of the other.

Verification of your origin of monies is required in accordance with the Money Laundering Regulations. Please do not be offended when when this is requested of you as your conveyancing solicitor must retain this information on file. Your Mill Hill conveyancing lawyer will need to see evidence of proof of funds prior to accepting any money from you into their client account and they may also ask further questions concerning the source of monies.

Should I use a Mill Hill conveyancing solicitor based in the location that I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can carry out the conveyancing however her office is over three hundred kilometers away.

The benefit of a high street Mill Hill conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, present your ID and pester them where appropriate. Having local Mill Hill know how is a benefit. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and the majority were content that should outweigh using an unknown Mill Hill conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Mill Hill based.

Last June I purchased a leasehold house in Mill Hill. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Following years of negotiations we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Mill Hill. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

in cases where there is a absentee landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to judgment on the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Mill Hill flat is Ground Floor Maisonette 17 Milton Road in January 2014. The Tribunal determined the premium payable by the Applicant to the should be £13,299 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 71.73 years.