I have just started taking steps with the aim of changing my current homeowner loan to a BTL Coventry Building Society mortgage. The bank has said that I require a solicitor as part of the process. I had a chat the same The Hyde conveyancing firm who acted on my behalf when I previously acquired the house. The costs illustration provided of £575 plus disbursements has taken me by surprise as I am not require purchase conveyancing - it’s just a bog-standard refinance.

The estimate does seem a tad steep. If you you were to look around you might trim some of the cost by say £100 plus VAT. That being said, providing that you were happy with the conveyancing the firm gave you mightlive to regret opting for an a cheaper lawyer. Don't forget to be sure the firm can represent Coventry Building Society. You can employ our search tool to choose a The Hyde conveyancing firm on the Coventry Building Society approved list of lawyers, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in The Hyde.

It has been three months since my purchase conveyancing in The Hyde completed. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £215,000. 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.

How does conveyancing in The Hyde differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in The Hyde contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because builders in The Hyde typically acquire the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in The Hyde or who has acted in the same development.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in The Hyde. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner 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. A critical element 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).

After months of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in The Hyde. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?

Where there is a missing freeholder or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to judgment on the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a The Hyde premises is First Floor Flat 61 Wilberforce Road in March 2014. The premium payable was £10,130 and the case was remitted back to the Willesden County Court to effect the Vesting Order (Claim No 3W103100). This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 71 years.

I was advised by my bank that their approved lawyers operate no move no charge basis for conveyancing in The Hyde. My purchase fell through yet the solicitors want search fees! They are claiming that the fees are independent!

in promising "no sale no fee" The Hyde conveyancing firms are writing off their charges for any work carried out. We should make it clear that this is NOT an insurance scheme. you will still be expected to reimburse any charges that your lawyer has outlayed for you such as The Hyde local authority checks