Would the conveyancing solicitors listed on your site conduct conveyancing in Oxshott by way of an attended exchange?
We do have a number of conveyancing specialists who can conduct attended exchanges. Please call us to get a fee calculation and details as to availability.
is it true that all Oxshott solicitor practices on the Santander conveyancing panel are governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Santander conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many banks do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the practice would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
How can we know in advance if a Oxshott conveyancing solicitor on the RBS panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Oxshott getting recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always advise that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your conveyancing.
Having digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Oxshott solicitor - who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Leeds Building Society will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Leeds Building Society will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Oxshott surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
A colleague recommended that where I am buying in Oxshott I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Oxshott conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Oxshott around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Oxshott Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Oxshott.
I am looking for a flat up to £305k and found one close by in Oxshott I like with a park and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Oxshott for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
Should you require a mortgage that many years may be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.
I am a negotiator for a reputable estate agent office in Oxshott where we have experienced a few flat sales put at risk due to short leases. I have received inconsistent advice from local Oxshott conveyancing firms. Can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the buyer?
Provided that the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to wait 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.
Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
Following months of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Oxshott. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
Where there is a missing freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to arrive at the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Oxshott premises is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case related to 1 flat.