It is is a decade since I purchased my house in Southport. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I am unable to find the deeds. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be with your lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Southport relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Southport off the council. I have a mortgage offer with . Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with , you will need to appoint a solicitor on the conveyancing panel.
The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Southport. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in December 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, are being difficult. The Southport solicitor who is on the conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
What does a local search inform me about the property I am buying in Southport?
Southport conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company such as Searches UK The local search plays a central part in many a Southport conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any unpleasant once you have moved into your property. The search will provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic headings.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Southport I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 49 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Southport for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a short lease?
If you need a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for at least 2 years you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
We are 18 days into a leasehold purchase having been directed to conveyancers by the estate agent to carry out the conveyancing in Southport. I am am very disappointed with the level of service. Can you help me find new lawyers?
They would have to be very poor to suggest replacing them. Has your mortgage been sent? If so you must advise them of the new contact details and ensure the mortgage documents are re-sent. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid escalating fees and complications. That should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool will assist you in finding a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Southport