What is the first thing I need to know about purchase conveyancing in Nunhead?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Nunhead or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of room for friction between you and other parties involved in the transaction. For instance, the seller, property agent and on occasion your mortgage company. Choosing a law firm for your conveyancing in Nunhead should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the legal process whose responsibility is to look after your best interests and to protect you.

There is a distinct creep in the "blame" culture- someone has to be blamed for the process taking so long. We recommend that you must always trust your solicitor above all other parties when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

I have justbeen informed that Wolstenholmes have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Nunhead for a purchase of a leasehold flat 12 months ago. How can I check that the property is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?

The quickest method to check if the property is registered to you, you can carry out 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 Nunhead conveyancing specialists.

I opted to have a survey completed on a house in Nunhead before instructing solicitors. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor has said that some banks may not issue a mortgage on a flying freehold property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you contact us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Nunhead. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

How does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business property in Nunhead and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to affords protection to commercial lessees, granting the right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are limited grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complex. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Nunhead is one of our numerous locations in which the firms we work with are located

Last February I purchased a leasehold property in Nunhead. Do I have any liability for 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. Strange as it may seem, 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).

Notwithstanding our best endeavours, we have been unsuccessful in negotiating a lease extension in Nunhead. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the price payable.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Nunhead residence is 41 Endwell Road in March 2013. this matter relateed to the acquisition of the freehold of a mid- terraced Victorian house converted into three separate self-contained dwellings. By an order dated 28/11/2012, Deputy District Judge Cole in the Bromley County Court held that the leaseholders were entitled to acquire the freehold and directed that the premium payable be determined by this Tribunal. The Tribunal assessed the premium to be £14,753 This case affected 3 flats. The unexpired term was 80.01 years.