Will lawyers request money up-front for my conveyancing in Oxted?

Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Oxted your solicitor will ask you to provide them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. If any down payment is as part of the purchase price then this will be required immediately before exchange of contracts. The final balance that is needed will be payable a couple of days prior to the day of completion.

We intend to purchase a newbuild flat in Oxted with a mortgage from Halifax.We like our Oxted conveyancing practitioner but Halifax advised that her practice is not listed on their approved list of firms. It seems we are left with little choice but to instruct a Halifax panel solicitor or retain our preferred solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Halifax use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The loan issued to you is subject to its terms and conditions, a common one being that lawyers needs to be on the Halifax conveyancing panel. Until recently, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Halifax

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Oxted is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?

Flying freeholds in Oxted are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Oxted you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Oxted 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 premises.

I have recently realised that I have Seventy years left on my flat in Oxted. I need to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What options are available to me?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have done all that could be expected to track down the freeholder. On the whole a specialist may be useful to conduct investigations and to produce an expert document to be used as evidence that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Oxted.

Oxted Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Questions you should consider before buying

How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? How much is the annual service fee and ground rent? Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that will likely increase the service costs?

I pay a service charge for my ground floor flat in Oxted. Due to losing my job and other issues I slipped behind with remittance. I negotiated a payment plan but there is still a couple of left to be paid.

I now wish to dispose of the property and I am concerned this will hold me back if I have to discharge the arrears now. I'd like to sell up and then pay them back with the proceeds - is this achievable?

The property lawyer handing your Oxted sale will hopefully be in a position to negotiate with the appropriate parties, with a new to seeing if they would accept settlement from completion monies. Here is indicative of why it is advisable to use a conveyancing practitioner in Oxted as they are likely to enjoy an established relationship with the management company.