A relative advised me that in purchasing a property in Lichfield there could be various restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external changes to the property. Is this right?
There are anumerous of properties in Lichfield which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Lichfield should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
We previously chose conveyancers with offices in Lichfield on the Clydesdale solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a supplemental sum for handling the Clydesdale mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Clydesdale?
Provided it is contained in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancer is entitled to charge a fee for this. The fee is not set by Clydesdale but by your Lichfield conveyancing practitioner. Some firms on the Clydesdale panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
My husband and I have organised a further advance on our home loan from Virgin Money as we intend to conduct renovations to our home in Lichfield. Are we obliged to choose a high street Lichfield solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Virgin Money do not ordinarily instruct a member of their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Virgin Money panel.
We are buying a property and the conveyancer has mentioned Chancel Repair for which the house may be liable because it falls into the area of such a church. She has recommended insurance. Is this strictly warranted for conveyancing in Lichfield
Unless a previous acquisition of the premises took place after 12 October 2013 you may assume that solicitors handling conveyancing in Lichfield to continue to propose a a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.
Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Edwardian property in Lichfield. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Barnsley Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You should 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Lichfield and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.
Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Lichfield ahead of retaining conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor advised that some mortgage companies may refuse to issue a loan on a flying freehold property.
It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Lichfield. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Lichfield especially if they are familiar with such properties in Lichfield.
Is it best to go with a Lichfield conveyancing practitioner based in the vicinity that I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can deal with the legal work but his firm is located approximately 350kilometers away.
The primary upside of using a local Lichfield conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. Having local Lichfield know how is a bonus. However it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust used your friend and the majority were impressed that must surpass using an unknown Lichfield conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being based in the area.
Do you have any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Lichfield with the aim of speeding up the sale process?
- Much of the delay in leasehold conveyancing in Lichfield can be avoided where you get in touch lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and ask them to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the purchasers’ solicitors. If you have had conflict with your freeholder or managing agents it is essential that these are settled before the property is put on the market. The buyers and their solicitors will be concerned about purchasing a flat where there is an ongoing dispute. You may have to bite the bullet and pay any arrears of service charge or resolve the dispute prior to the buyers completing the purchase. It is therefore preferable to have any dispute settled prior to the contract papers being issued to the buyers’ solicitors. You will still have to reveal particulars of the dispute to the purchasers, but it is clearly preferable to reveal the dispute as historic rather than ongoing. A minority of Lichfield leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand financial (bank) and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is financially capable of paying the annual service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the service charge figures so that they can pass this information on to the purchasers or their lawyers. If you have carried out any alterations to the property would they have required Landlord’s consent? In particular have you laid down wooden flooring? Most leases in Lichfield state that internal structural alterations or installing wooden flooring calls for a licence issued by the Landlord approving such alterations. Should you dont have the paperwork to hand do not contact the landlord without checking with your solicitor before hand.
I purchased a studio flat in Lichfield, conveyancing formalities finalised half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Lichfield with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2081
With 55 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £31,400 and £36,200 as well as costs.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.