4 months have elapsed following my purchase conveyancing in Patcham completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the residence from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I have been pointed in your direction by a few selling agents in Patcham to locate a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial incentive for Estate Agents to offer your services over alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to make any referral fee for sending work our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

In searching the world wide web for the words conveyancing in Patcham it shows results of numerous solicitorsin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancer for the sale of my house?

The ideal way of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a personal referral, so ask friends and relatives who have acquired a property in Patcham or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Patcham vary, so it's advisable to obtain at least four costs illustrations from different law firms. Dont forget to clarify that the charges are assured not to rise.

Last January I purchased a leasehold house in Patcham. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee 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).

Patcham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the block? Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to day to day matters such as the cleanliness of the communal areas. You should not be shy to ask prospective neighbours if they are happy with them. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the service charge to the relevant party and specifically what you get for your money. The majority of Patcham leasehold flats will be liable to pay a service charge for maintenance of the block levied on behalf of the freeholder. If you acquire the apartment you will have to pay this contribution, normally periodically during the year. This could vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large common grounds. In all probability there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, ordinarily this is not a large sum, say about £25-£75 but you need to check as on occasion it can be many hundreds of pounds.

I have been recommended a conveyancing solicitor in Patcham. I need to find out if they are listed on the bank's conveyancing panel. Could you help?

One option is to phone the conveyancer to enquire if they are on the lender's approved list. Alternatively please call us and we can make some checks for you. Should the firm not be on the conveyancing panel we can certainly arrange a reputable conveyancing solicitor in Patcham on the approved list for your mortgage company.