Are the Winterbourne conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Coventry BS?

Winterbourne conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Coventry BS directly.

My uncle passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Winterbourne. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Nationwide, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?

If you plan to refinance then Nationwide will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Nationwide conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Nationwide mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

I have todayfound out that Stirling Law have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in Winterbourne for a purchase of a leasehold flat 9 months ago. How can I establish that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to check if the premises is in your name, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Winterbourne conveyancing specialists.

In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business premises in Winterbourne and how can you help?

The particular law that you refer to gives protection to business lessees, granting the legal entitlement to apply to court for a renewal tenancy and continue in occupation when the lease comes to an end. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act for protection and assist with commercial conveyancing in Winterbourne

Can you provide any top tips for leasehold conveyancing in Winterbourne with the aim of saving time on the sale process?

• A significant proportion of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Winterbourne can be reduced if you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information needed by the buyers’ representatives.
In the event that you altered the property did you need the Landlord’s approval? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Winterbourne leases often stipulate that internal structural changes or installing wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. If you dont have the approvals to hand you should not communicate with the landlord without contacting your lawyer before hand. You believe that you know the number of years remaining on your lease but you should verify this via your lawyers. A buyer’s conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is under 80 years. In the circumstances it is essential at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. A minority of Winterbourne leases require Licence to Assign from the landlord. If this applies to your lease, you should place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers obtain bank and professional references. Any bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Winterbourne - Examples of Questions you should consider before buying

Please note if it is no more than 80 years it will affect the salability of the property. Check with your mortgage company that they are willing to go ahead with the loan given the lease term. A short lease means that you will most likely have to extend the lease sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this will be. Remember, in most cases you will need to own the property for a couple of years in order to be entitled to exercise a lease extension. The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the lessees have control and although a managing agent is frequently employed where it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Its a good idea to discover as much as you can about the company managing the building as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to daily issues like the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of prospective neighbours what they think of their management. On a final note, be sure you know the dates that the service fees are due to the appropriate party and specifically what it includes.