Can the conveyancing solicitors highlighted through your search tool handle right to buy conveyancing in Stockwell?

We do have a number of conveyancing experts who can service right to buy transactions Please contact the conveyancers listed with a view to get a costs calculation.

My wife and I own a 4 bedroom Georgian house in Stockwell. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Coventry Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to read 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Stockwell and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.

How does conveyancing in Stockwell differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Stockwell approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because new home sellers in Stockwell tend to 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 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 used to new build conveyancing in Stockwell or who has acted in the same development.

In my capacity as executor for the will of my father I am selling a property in Newport but live in Stockwell. My solicitor (based 200 miles from meneeds me to sign a stat dec before the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Stockwell who can attest this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Stockwell based

I am looking at a couple of flats in Stockwell which have in the region of 50 years unexpired on the lease term. Do I need to be concerned?

There is no doubt about it. A leasehold flat in Stockwell is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to zero years unexpired, the more it reduces the value of the premises. For most buyers and banks, leases with less than eighty years become less and less marketable. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the premises for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a residence with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Stockwell conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. You may find he or she is happy to negotiate informally and willing to consider your offer straight off, without having to involve anyone else. This will save you time and money and it could help you reach a lower price on the lease. You need to ensure that the agreed terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

After years of negotiations we cannot agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Stockwell. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?

if there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to make a decision on the amount due.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement decision for a Stockwell property is 3 Tintern Street in February 2010. The tribunal had jurisdiction to make a decision on the price of the freehold of the subject premises and concluded that the premium should be £24,630.00 This case was in relation to 2 flats. The remaining number of years on the lease was 73.69 years.