My house in Hassocks is up for sale and I have a purchaser. Will my conveyancing practitioner need to be on the Barclays conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Barclays conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their panel criteria fairly frequently in recent years.
There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Hassocks but how do I know who's good?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Hassocks conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
I have paid off my mortgage with Coventry BS. I assume I don't need a Hassocks lawyer on the Coventry BS panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Coventry BS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Coventry BS mortgage from the register. Coventry BS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Coventry BS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Coventry BS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Hassocks. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
My wife and I are intent on selling our home in Hassocks and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. A high street Hassocks conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers used a national conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Hassocks. Having lived in Hassocks for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing lawyer already. What do they say? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)
In what way can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial offices in Hassocks and how can your lawyers assist?
The 1954 Act gives protection to commercial lessees, granting the a statutory right to make a request to court for a new tenancy and continue in occupation when the lease reaches an end. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are involved. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing solicitors who use the act to your advantage and handle your commercial conveyancing in Hassocks
20 days into buying a property in Hassocks. Conveyancing solicitor has called to say the property is "Leasehold". Will this likely impact the salability of the house?
Hassocks conveyancing does not normally involve leasehold houses. The key factor here is the unexpired lease term and the ground rent. If it's 999 years with a peppercorn rent, it's virtually freehold, so it’s unlikely to impact the marketability significantly.
At the other extreme, if it's, say, fifty five years it will have a adverse impact on the saleability, and most likely wouldn't be mortgageable. The remaining lease term and ground rent will be set out in the lease to be supplied to your conveyancing practitioner.