Finally the sale completed on my house in Alton last October but my buyer keeps whats apping daily complaining that her solicitor needs to hear from mylawyer. What should have happened now that I have sold?

Following your disposal your lawyer should deliver the transfer deeds and all of the paperwork to the buyer’s solicitors. Depending on the transaction, your conveyancer should also evidence that the home loan has been repaid to the buyers conveyancers. There are no post completion formalities unique to conveyancing in Alton.

Various web forums that I have visited warn that are the main cause of obstruction in Alton conveyancing transactions. Is there any truth in this?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the top 10 causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Alton.

I used Action Conveyancing several years past for my conveyancing in Alton. I now require my papers however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Alton of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

How does conveyancing in Alton differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Alton approach us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because developers in Alton typically purchase 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 used to new build conveyancing in Alton or who has acted in the same development.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Alton. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Alton - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Make sure you find out if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance some leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Alton. If you love the flatin Alton but your cat is not allowed to live with you then you have a very hard determination. Most Alton leasehold flats will have a service charge for the upkeep of the building levied on behalf of the management company. Should you buy the flat you will have to meet this contribution, usually periodically throughout the year. This could differ from two or three hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. In all likelihood there will be a rentcharge to be met annual, normally this is not a exorbitant amount, say approximately £50-£100 but you need to enquire as on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds. Who is in charge of the building?