It is a dozen years since I acquired my house in Kidderminster. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I can't track down the deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be kept by your mortgage company or they could stored with the solicitor who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Kidderminster relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it is more problematic but is not insurmountable.
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Kidderminster what would it be?
We would encourage you not to go for the cheapest Kidderminster conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying 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 am the single beneficiary of my late mum's will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Kidderminster. The Kidderminster property was put into my name in September. I plan to dispose of the property. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship may be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the house in September. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be caught by that. How practical a view banks take of it, depend on the lender as this obligation principally exists to pick up on subsales or the flipping of properties.
I can not fathom if my bank requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Kidderminster building society branch on a couple of occasions and was advised it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Kidderminster conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they will not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
Your conveyancing practitioner must follow the CML Handbook section two specifications for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
My wife and I have a semi-detached Victorian house in Kidderminster. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Platform Home Loans Ltd. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Kidderminster and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Kidderminster is the location of the property. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Kidderminster are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Kidderminster you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Kidderminster 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 premises.
What tools are available to locate a Kidderminster law firm on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am happy to travel upto 25miles to meet the solicitor.
You can use the facility on this page. Please choose the bank and your location and you will see a number of Kidderminster conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Kidderminster conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can telephone them to check if they are on the Birmingham Midshires member panel