As I am unsure how the conveyancing process works what is the most important number one tip you can give me about purchase conveyancing in Moorgate?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Moorgate or throughout England and Wales is an adversarial process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. For instance, the seller, property agent and sometimes the lender. Appointing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Moorgate is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the process whose interest is to protect your legal interests and to protect you.

On occasion a potential adversary will try and sway you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the selling agent may claim to be helping by claiming that your lawyer is dragging his heels. Or your financial adviser may advise you to do something that is against your conveyancers recommendation. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.

How does conveyancing in Moorgate differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in Moorgate approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is built. This is because builders in Moorgate tend to acquire the land, 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 conveyancing solicitors 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 Moorgate or who has acted in the same development.

What tools are available to identify a Moorgate law firm on the Barclays Direct conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am willing to travel upto 20miles to meet the conveyancer.

Feel free to make use of the tool on this page. Please pick a lender and your location and you will see a number of Moorgate conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Moorgate conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can contact them to verify if they are on the Barclays Direct member panel

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Moorgate for my purchase. Is there any facility to review a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

You may find documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions started on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may recorded telephone calls for training requirements.

I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Moorgate. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the premium payable for a lease extension?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the price.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Moorgate premises is 137 & 139 Haberdasher Street in December 2013. The Tribunal determines in accordance with section 48 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease for each Property should be £12,350.00. This case related to 2 flats. The unexpired lease term was 72.39 years.

Are there common defects that you come across in leases for Moorgate properties?

Leasehold conveyancing in Moorgate is not unique. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain sections are not included. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Clauses dealing with recovering service charges for expenditure on the building or common parts. Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the property

You may 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. Accord Mortgages Ltd, Skipton Building Society, and Britannia 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, obliging the buyer to withdraw.