Should lawyers ask for money up-front for conveyancing in Street?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Street your lawyer will request that you place them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the deposit is payable against the purchase price then this should be asked for immediately before contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is due should be transferred shortly before completion.

My mortgage company has suggested a law firm on their panel based in Street but I would rather instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Street or nearer to where I live. Can you help?

The minority of Street conveyancing practices are listed all lender’s conveyancing panel. Use the above search tool to find a Street conveyancing solicitor on the on the bank panel.

Will our conveyancer be making enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Street.

The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Street. There are those who acquire a house in Street, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.

Lawyers are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, however there are a various searches that may be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should figure out the risks in Street. The standard information given to a buyer’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a usual inquiry of the seller to determine if the property has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser could commence a compensation claim as a result of such an inaccurate answer. A buyer’s conveyancers will also conduct an enviro search. This will indicate whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be carried out.

The deeds to our property can not be found. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Street 4 years ago are no longer around. What do I do?

You no longer need to have the physical original deeds to prove you own the land or premises, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.

We expect to complete the disposal of our £175,000 apartment in Street on Wednesday in a week. The landlords agents has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Street?

Street conveyancing on leasehold apartments normally involves the buyer’s solicitor sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to respond to such questions most will be willing to do so. They are at liberty to levy a reasonable administration fee for responding to enquiries or supplying documentation. There is no set fee. The average fee for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some situations it is above £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is not strictly payable. In reality one has little option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to sell the property.

Street Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before buying

Where a Street lease has fewer than 80 years it will affect the marketability of the apartment. It is worth checking with your lender that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will probably have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering what this would cost. For most Streetlease extensions you would need to own the residence for 24 months in order to be entitled to carry out a lease extension. Its a good idea to discover as much as possible regarding the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you will be at the mercy of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues such as the tidiness of the common parts. You should not be afraid to ask other tenants what they think of them. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the relevant party and specifically what it includes. Does the lease have in excess of 80 years left?