Can the conveyancing lawyers that you recommend handle attended exchange conveyancing in Stockwood?

There are a few conveyancing specialists who can conduct personalised exchanges. Please contact us to get a fee calculation and details as to dates.

I just bought a property at auction in Stockwood. Conveyancing is necessary. What are my next steps?

Given that you are now legally bound yourself to purchase you should find a conveyancing solicitor soon as you will have a pending a drop dead date to complete the conveyancing. An auction property will have a corresponding auction pack. This will include most,if not all of the documents that your solicitor will need. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal papers should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork relating to a leasehold property. You should hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that your finances are organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Stockwood. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Yorkshire BS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As your lender is Yorkshire BS your lawyer must check the formal instructions set out in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Yorkshire BS. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Yorkshire BS where a lease does not comply with these requirements. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Stockwood.

My fiancee and I are spending time viewing houses in Stockwood and I am about to put in an offer. Is it too early to have a solicitor in place? I intend to finance via a home loan with Bank of Ireland.

You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. Given that you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I am looking for a conveyancing lawyer in Stockwood for my home move. Is there any facility to see a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?

Anyone may review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations commenced on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded telephone calls for training purposes.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Seventy years remaining on my lease in Stockwood. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What are my options?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to find the lessor. For most situations a specialist would be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Stockwood.

Stockwood Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider before buying

You will want to find out as much as you can about the managing agents as they can either make life much simpler or much more difficult. As the owner of a leasehold property you are often at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day matters like the cleanliness of the common parts. You should not be shy to ask other tenants what they think of their service. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that the service charges are due to the managing agents and precisely what it includes. Many Stockwood leasehold apartments will incur a service charge for the upkeep of the block invoiced by the freeholder. Where you acquire the property you will have to pay this liability, normally quarterly during the year. This could differ from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built buildings. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a exorbitant amount, say around £25-£75 but you should to enquire it because occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive. Best to be warned whether window replacement or some other significant cost is due in the foreseeable future that will be shared by the leasehold owners and may well materially increase the the service fees or require a specific payment.

My wife and I have instructed a Stockwood conveyancing solicitor for our home move (first time buyers) and have spotted in the Ts and Cs that they are not regulated by the FCA. Need I be worried or is that the norm with lawyer?

We can't see why they should be. Most conveyancer don't lend money. They should be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who set specific stipulations in relation to monies held in their bank.