What is the first thing I need to know concerning purchase conveyancing in Port Talbot?

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Port Talbot or throughout Baglan is often a confrontational experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for friction between you and other parties involved in the transaction. E.g., the seller, property agent and even potentially the mortgage company. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in Port Talbot is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the legal process whose interest is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.

We are witnessing a worrying ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone must be blamed for the process taking so long. You your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer ahead of all other players when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

I am assisting my step-mother sell her flat in Port Talbot. Does the solicitor arrange the energy performance certificate or it is for the owner to coordinate?

Following the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy performance certificates became a compulsory part of selling a house. An EPC must be to hand before the property is placed on the market. This is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers normally organise. Where you are using a Port Talbot conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with long established Port Talbot accredited person

We had appointed conveyancing lawyers based in Port Talbot on the Leeds Building Society solicitor panel. They have just billed me a separate fee for the legal aspects of the Leeds Building Society mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Leeds Building Society?

As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your solicitor is entitled to charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Leeds Building Society but by your Port Talbot solicitor. Plenty of firms on the Leeds Building Society panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some firms include it on their overall fee.

I can not fathom if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Port Talbot bank branch on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My Port Talbot conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they would not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I have no idea who is right.

As long as the solicitor is on the mortgage company approved list, she or he must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook specifications for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I purchased a semi-detached Victorian property in Port Talbot. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Nottingham Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. Is it worth asking Nottingham Building Society to clarify?

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Port Talbot and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who completed the work.

I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Port Talbot I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Port Talbot in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a lease with such few years left?

If you require a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

What does commercial conveyancing in Port Talbot cover?

Non domestic conveyancing in Port Talbot incorporates a wide range of advice, given by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the transfer of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of leases.