Why do I have to pay up front for conveyancing in Woodford?

If you are buying a property in Woodford your lawyer will ask you put them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. When the deposit is as part of the total price then this should be required shortly before exchange of contracts. The final balance that is needed should be transferred a few days prior to the completion date.

I am refinancing my property in Woodford, does my lawyer have to be on the Co-operative Solicitor panel?

There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Co-operative will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.

I have todayfound out that Stirling Law have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Woodford for a purchase of a freehold house 18 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to see if the property 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 Woodford conveyancing specialists.

Should I be suspicious by brokers that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Woodford conveyancing company?

As with lots of professional services, often suggestions from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. Yet there are lots of players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies may recommend conveyancers to select. On occasion the conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there exists a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You have the right to choose your own conveyancer. However, bear in mind that most banks have an approved list of solicitors you are obliged to use for the mortgage aspect of your house move.

I have just appointed agents to market my basement flat in Woodford. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, but I have just had a quarterly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?

The sensible thing to do is clear the maintenance contribution as normal because all rents and maintenance charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without getting anywhere. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such issues? Can you recommend a Woodford conveyancing firm to represent me?

You certainly can. We are happy to put you in touch with a Woodford conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Woodford flat is 201 & 201a St. Barnabas Road in October 2013. The Tribunal decided that the price to be paid by the Applicants for the freehold interest is £20,071. This case related to 2 flats. The unexpired term was 69.26 years.