I am purchasing a newly constructed flat in Woodingdean and my solicitor is informing me that she is duty bound to the bank to disclose incentives from the seller. I am under pressure to sign contracts and I would rather not delay deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancing practitioner. A precondition to being on a lender 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 not used to the Woodingdean conveyancing process what’s your top tip you can give me concerning the legal transfer of property in Woodingdean

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Woodingdean and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for confrontation between you and others involved in the transaction. E.g., the seller, selling agent and on occasion the mortgage company. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in Woodingdean an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the legal process whose responsibility is to look after your best interests and to protect you.

We are witnessing a worrying creep in the "blame" culture- someone must be at fault for the process taking so long. We recommend that you your first instinct should be to trust your solicitor ahead of all other players when it comes to the legal assignment of property.

Do I need to visit the offices of the solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Woodingdean so that I can attend their offices if required.

Most approved lawyers for banks undertake the vast majority of communications via the post, e-mail or over phone calls. This enables them to conduct the legal work for your home move no matter where you live in England or Wales. Nevertheless you should check if you can still book an appointment to visit conveyancing lawyer if you prefer.

Should my conveyancer be raising questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Woodingdean.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in Woodingdean. There are those who acquire a property in Woodingdean, fully aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of checks that may be carried out by the buyer or by their lawyers which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Woodingdean. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms supplied to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual inquiry of the owner to discover whether the property has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser could issue a claim for damages resulting from an misleading response. A buyer’s conveyancers will also carry out an enviro search. This should indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be carried out.

Are there frequently found deficiencies that you witness in leases for Woodingdean properties?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Woodingdean. All leases are unique and legal mistakes in the legal wording can sometimes mean that certain clauses are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage A duty to insure the building

You will encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Nationwide Building Society, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and Nottingham Building Society all have express conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.

Woodingdean Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

What is the name of the managing agents? What prohibitions exist in the Woodingdean Lease? Is the freehold reversion owned jointly by the leaseholders?