Conveyancer documents

goodValue

For my flat purchase, I've just been sent about 20 documents, some of which seem to have similar titles to documents sent a month ago.

The Property Information and Fixtures and Fittings forms seem important to know about, but the others not so much (previous years accounts, safety documents and other management company documents).

Are there any documents that I should be taking a good look at? ( I didn't get a response from the conveyancer when I asked this for the first set of documents).

annetheman

All of them.... This is likely the biggest debt you're taking on in your life. Take a good look at all of them. Understand them and ask questions if you don't.

Especially for a flat - leasehold problems, building safety problems, communal area problems..... Yes, the answer is: all of them.

davidmcn

goodValue said:

For my flat purchase, I've just been sent about 20 documents, some of which seem to have similar titles to documents sent a month ago.

The Property Information and Fixtures and Fittings forms seem important to know about, but the others not so much (previous years accounts, safety documents and other management company documents).

Are there any documents that I should be taking a good look at? ( I didn't get a response from the conveyancer when I asked this for the first set of documents).

Well, are there any you were planning to not bother reading, or which you don't understand? Has your solicitor just copied stuff to you rather than say anything about them? They ought to be summarising the important stuff and highlighting anything potentially onerous or unusual.

Tiglet2

I do hope you don't come back on here in a couple of years stating that you were not told by your solicitor of the escalating ground rent and onerous clauses in your lease..........

macman

Nah, just sign everything unread and cross your fingers...

goodValue

I checked that ground rent, length of lease, and service charges were sensible, but didn't know what other issues were important.
Since the start of the conveyancing I have not been able to speak to the solicitor on the phone. Indeed, the vendors EA have asked me to contact them as they have been unable to.
Going through the first set of documents, I found that the vendor had said there was NOT vacant possession.
Even after a few days of emailing and phoning, I was denied access to the solicitor.
It was only after I told the secretary that I would be unable to buy the flat because of this that anything was done.
So I'm aware that the buyer has to do some checking.
However, with no knowledge of conveyancing, I don't know what to look for.(Even if there was a problem with previous years account, I double if I would recognise it)
So, again, I would ask what are the most important things to check, so that I could concentrate my attention on those issues.

davidmcn

I don't think we can really tell you what's noteworthy without either seeing the documents ourselves or giving you a crash course in conveyancing. You need to be pushing your solicitors to give you the advice you're paying them for.

greatcrested

You are spending 00s of 000s of pounds. Read everything.

Anything you don't understand, ask someone - either your solicitor and/or amateurs on the internet.

Tiglet2

goodValue said:

I checked that ground rent, length of lease, and service charges were sensible, but didn't know what other issues were important.
Since the start of the conveyancing I have not been able to speak to the solicitor on the phone. Indeed, the vendors EA have asked me to contact them as they have been unable to.
Going through the first set of documents, I found that the vendor had said there was NOT vacant possession.
Even after a few days of emailing and phoning, I was denied access to the solicitor.
It was only after I told the secretary that I would be unable to buy the flat because of this that anything was done.
So I'm aware that the buyer has to do some checking.
However, with no knowledge of conveyancing, I don't know what to look for.(Even if there was a problem with previous years account, I double if I would recognise it)
So, again, I would ask what are the most important things to check, so that I could concentrate my attention on those issues.

Your solicitor will eventually send you his "report".  This will advise you about all the information they have found out about the property.  The report is likely to have lots of documents for your perusal too, including searches and the replies to enquiries.  Make sure you read the report thoroughly.  If you don't understand anything in the report, ask your solicitor for clarification.  I am not clear whether the 20 documents you mention in the opening post is part of the report stage or the earlier stages.

AlexMac

Tiglet2 said:

Your solicitor will eventually send you his "report".  This will advise you about all the information they have found out about the property.  The report is likely to have lots of documents for your perusal too, including searches and the replies to enquiries.  Make sure you read the report thoroughly.  If you don't understand anything in the report, ask your solicitor for clarification.  I am not clear whether the 20 documents you mention in the opening post is part of the report stage or the earlier stages.

What Tiglet says;  but next time you buy, maybe choose a more responsve solicitor; I tend to prefer a local one (not that this matters during lockdown) who agrees to use email to speed correspondence and save trees!   To be fair, I've found in my 5 or 6 past leasehold purchases that the solicitor similarly drip-feeds me these documents; usually with an indication of whether they want a response (e.g. asking me to look at the "Land Registry Title and Plan " -the equivalent of what used to be called the "deeds" with the request that I look at these to check they match what I think I'm buying; including any terraces, balconies or grounds and wheter these are mine of communal)

Then just before exchange, they should summarise all these in a final crucial "report on title", summarising key points from
- the lease (which is likely to be the major one of the documents; spelling out what you're buying, and your restrictions, obligations etc (e.g typically- to pay Service charges and/or ground rents, no pets without agreement, no brothels or trade use, demands for carpeting bare floors, no subletting under 6 months; i.e. no Air B&B or Holiday Lets, no alterations without freeholder consent so you can't knock down walls or change windows...)  and what the freeholder's obligations are (typically to insure and maintain the structure and common areas) but which is probably written in weirdly archaic language
- the searches 
-  The "LPE1 form (Leasehold Property Enquiries form; google this for a typical format sample) which askes who the freeholder is, who manages the building (and asks as a standard procedure for the kind of stuff you've already seen;  2-3 yearsyears Service Charge Accounts, notice of any major planned work as you'll foot a share of the bill for these. evidence of insurance, sometimes the Freehold Company's annual Accounts, maybe the Managing Company's "Constitution" or "Mem & Arts" idf it's a "shared freehold"  or minutes of AGMs...)

But as I say, make sure that before "Exchange" (when you are committed to "Complete") you get an intelligible summary.  The best solicitors I had used to sit me down and talk through this; but others did it in writing, in a neatly bound package for ease of handling.  I never had one who just chucked a load of gibberish at me so I couldn't complain- three years later; "Oh- I didn't know that I had a two grand annual service charge... five grand to pay as share of a new roof ... or a doubling ground rent every ten years which will screw future sales /.. or even worse; that you only have 20 years left on the lease!"

Happy reading!

Sotts

I read everything. My solicitor pointed out certain things to be aware of as well