Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property can not be found. The lawyers who conducted the conveyancing in Risca 5 years ago no longer exist. What do I do?
You no longer need to have the physical original deeds to establish that you are the registered proprietor of land or property, as the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.
How does conveyancing in Risca differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Risca contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because house builders in Risca usually acquire 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 conveyancers 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 Risca or who has acted in the same development.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Risca is where the house is located. Can you offer any opinion?
Flying freeholds in Risca are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Risca you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Risca may determine 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 residence.
Last July I purchased a leasehold house in Risca. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I purchased a ground floor flat in Risca, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar properties in Risca with over 90 years remaining are worth £181,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2076
You have 51 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £30,400 and £35,200 as well as costs.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to supply the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.
I recently become aware that one of the partners of the law firm undertaking the purchase conveyancing in Risca is an uncle of the vendor. Is this permitted?
As long as there is no conflict of interest this is allowable. Where you are requiring a mortgage then the mortgage company may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific instructions on this. For example for RBS- First Active as of 5/12/2025, the requirements read as follows :