Why do I have to pay up front for my conveyancing in St George?
If you are buying a property in St George your lawyer will request that you to provide them with monies to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. When the down payment is as part of the total price then this should be asked for shortly in advance of contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is due should be transferred shortly before completion.
I have been advised by my solicitor that absentee landlord insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in St George?
The right level of absentee landlord indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Accord Mortgages Ltd and The Royal Bank of Scotland. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.
Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Virgin Money. St George conveyancing lawyers were appointed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Virgin Money?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Virgin Money conducted the survey? Have you informed Virgin Money as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I have paid off my mortgage with Yorkshire BS. I assume I don't need a St George conveyancing practitioner on the Yorkshire BS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Yorkshire BS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Yorkshire BS mortgage from the register. Yorkshire BS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Yorkshire BS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Yorkshire BS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Various internet forums that I have frequented warn that are the number one reason for hinderance in St George conveyancing transactions. Is that correct?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in St George.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property can not be found. The solicitors who conducted the conveyancing in St George 4 years ago no longer exist. What do I do?
Assuming you have a registered title the details of your proprietorship will be held by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to carry out a search at the Land Registry, find your house and get current copies of the Registered Entries for less than a fiver. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for twenty pounds.
In what way does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial property in St George and how can you help?
The 1954 Act affords protection to commercial leaseholders, giving them the right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy when the lease comes to an end. There are certain specified grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing firms who use the act for protection and handle your commercial conveyancing in St George