My partner and I are purchasing a newly built flat in Willenhall and my solicitor is advising me that she is duty bound to the mortgage company to reveal incentives from the developer. The Estate Agents are hassling me to sign contracts and I have no desire to prolong matters. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

As someone clueless as to conveyancing in Willenhall what’s the number one tip you can give me for the ownership transfer in Willenhall

Not many law firms or advisers will tell you this but conveyancing in Willenhall and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is plenty of opportunity for friction between you and others involved in the transaction. E.g., the seller, selling agent and even potentially the lender. Selecting a lawyer for your conveyancing in Willenhall should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the process whose interest is to protect your best interests and to protect you.

We are witnessing a definite emergence of a "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer ahead of the other players when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

How does conveyancing in Willenhall differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Willenhall come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because developers in Willenhall typically purchase the real estate, 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Willenhall or who has acted in the same development.

Taking into account that I am about to part with hundreds of thousands of pounds on a terraced house in Willenhall I would like to have a conversation with the lawyer concerning theconveyancing ahead of appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

We could not agree more - it is our preference to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the lawyer who will be carrying out your property ownership legalities in Willenhall.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important person, not a case number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for residential conveyancing in Willenhall should be the figure that you are charged.

Last June I purchased a leasehold property in Willenhall. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee 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. It is an essential part 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).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Willenhall - Examples of Queries before Purchasing

You will want to find out as much as possible regarding the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily matters such as the tidiness of the common parts. Don't be afraid to ask other tenants what they think of them. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the service charges are due to the managing agents and specifically what it includes. For most Willenhall leaseholds the cost for major works are not included within service charges, although a few managing agents in Willenhall obliged leaseholders to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against larger works. Who are the managing agents?