Property Ownership Registration
I bought a BTL property(Leasehold) for which completion took place on 30/Sep/2014. A tenant moved in straight away and things with letting side all are going well so far. However, I’m still waiting for the completing of the ownership of the property registration. I don’t know much about the whole legal procedure but 5 months seems too long to be acceptable. I have been chasing my solicitor consistently but the only answer I have got from her is:
“The delay is caused by the vendor’s solicitor due to the complexity of shared ownership (50/50), but there is nothing you need to worry about as the property is yours, it will be completed as soon as next registration is available”.
The service from this solicitor is very poor, which is another story, however I am getting a bit anxious now as I can’t even get an estimated completion date, really frustrating!!
Can anybody give me some suggestions what shall I do?
Thanks for your time!
Hui
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Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 646 - Articles: 1
4:48 PM, 10th March 2015, About 11 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “Hui Lu” at “10/03/2015 – 16:31“:
hi
it prob wont state those exact words!
i looked at one of these shared ownership leases recently and it states ‘…not to underlet the whole or any part.’
Member Since September 2013 - Comments: 64 - Articles: 1
6:02 PM, 10th March 2015, About 11 years ago
Hi Hui,
I am pleased that you have made a formal complaint and have got some sort of reply. But the reply is not really very informative, and I rather agree with Rob Crawford’s comments. I am also disturbed by their claim that “there is nothing more we can do” – they should be doing all they can to get this mess sorted.
I think you should write to the solicitors again asking them
1. to provide you with details of the requisitions raised by the LR
2. ask them to specify what action they are taking to force the vendors and their solicitors to resolve matters.
I feel very much that this case really needs to be referred to the Legal Ombudsman sooner than later. 5 months is far too long for the transfer to be registered and really makes me think that something is very wrong. So perhaps wait for a further reply from the solicitors, but unless they make it clear that the problem will be sorted shortly make a formal complaint to LeO on the basis that the solicitors have failed to deal with your complaint to your satisfaction.
Tony
Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 97
9:37 AM, 14th March 2015, About 11 years ago
Hui,
Five months is way too long and some of the excuse your solicitors have provided should have been resolved before exchange and completion.
I remember reading somewhere that land registry will fine the buyers solicitors £1000, if registration of title is not completed within six months of completion.
I had a similar issue with a solicitor in 2006. I downloaded a complain pack from the Law Society, completed the form and send a copy to the solicitors, giving the, 14 days to sort out their mess. They had the title registered, paid my ground rent for the first 6 months and paid all further disbursements such as deeds of covenants, which sadly were not picked up prior to completion. I didn’t had to negotiate for any of these. But just showed me how careful they will get when a threat of complain is at their door step.
Get to them straight away on Monday and ask the ‘what-if’ question – i.e. what if the sellers’ solicitors don’t get their stuff sorted?
All the best…
Mervin
Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 97
9:44 AM, 14th March 2015, About 11 years ago
Apparently there is not fine involved, unless there is a SDLT return required.
Further reading: http://www.practicalconveyancing.co.uk/content/view/7644/0/