My partner and I are acquiring a new build apartment in Wealdstone and my lawyer is advising me that she has to the lender to disclose incentives from the builder. The Estate Agents are hassling me to exchange contracts and my preference is not to delay deal. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your property lawyer. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
It is is a decade since I purchased my house in Wealdstone. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I am unable to track down the title documents. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be with the mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the conveyancers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Wealdstone involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is not registered it is more problematic but is not insurmountable.
My relative advised me that where I am buying in Wealdstone I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Wealdstone conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Wealdstone around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Wealdstone Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Wealdstone.
My cousin has suggested that I instruct his conveyancers in Wealdstone. Should I use them?
There are no two ways about it the ideal way to select a conveyancing practitioner is to have recommendations from friends or family who have previously instructed the firm you're contemplating using.
My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Wealdstone. Conveyancing and Bank of Scotland mortgage are in place. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing practitioner in Wealdstone who previously acted has long since retired. Any advice?
First contact HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to incur the fees of a Wealdstone conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
Having spent months of correspondence we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Wealdstone. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
in cases where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the relevant legislation it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to judgment on the price.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement matter before the tribunal for a Wealdstone residence is 139/139A Masons Avenue in February 2010. this was a case with an absentee freeholder. As a result the leaseholders applied to Willesden County Court for an order dispensing with the giving of a notice of claim.14th October 2009 District Judge Brar granted a vesting order and the court directed that the matter should be transferred to this tribunal to determine the freehold premium. The tribunal concluded on a figure of £13,000 for the freehold interest This case was in relation to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 74 years.