I was referred a lawyer who has given a fee estimate £1700 for freehold conveyancing in Danbury. I’m hoping to sell a newly refurbished property for £250,000. This seems overpriced. Is it in excess of what I should be paying for conveyancing in Danbury?

The costs illustration is slightly on the high side. If you are willing to invest time scrutinising costs you might get the conveyancing a bit cheaper by perhaps £125. That being said, you mightcome to regret choosing an an unknown lawyer. Don't forget to enquire the conveyancer can act for your mortgage company. You can utilise our search tool to select a Danbury conveyancing company on the banks conveyancing panel which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Danbury.

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Danbury. I now require my papers however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Danbury of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

How does conveyancing in Danbury differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build property in Danbury come to us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is completed. This is because house builders in Danbury usually 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 property lawyers 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 Danbury or who has acted in the same development.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Danbury is where the house is located. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Danbury are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Danbury you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Danbury may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.

There are only Fifty years left on my lease in Danbury. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be extended by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to locate the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be used as proof that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Danbury.

Danbury Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Many Danbury leasehold properties will have a service bill for maintenance of the building levied on behalf of the landlord. If you acquire the property you will have to pay this contribution, normally quarterly accross the year. This can vary from several hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for bigger purpose-built blocks. There will also be a rentcharge to be met annual, this is usually not a significant amount, say approximately £25-£75 but you need to enquire as on occasion it could be prohibitively expensive. Is there a share of the freehold? The best form of lease structure is if the freehold reversion is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this arrangement the leaseholders benefit from control and although a managing agent is frequently retained where the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants.