Conveyancing taking an Eternity - I'm going mad!

Markus779

Ok, so I'm selling a leasehold flat.  The buyer is a first time buyer, they are are paying cash (no mortgage) and there is no chain and we are currently at day 131 of the conveyancing process. I'm going mad! 

What follows is all the information still required by the buyers conveyancer:

1 2955
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 - SECTION 106
AGREEMENT BETWEEN ASHFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL AND LESLIE (ASHFORD) LTD., HASBC BANK PLC AND A2 DOMINION SOUTH LTD., AND RELATING TO GRANT OF PLANNING PERMISSION REF: 08/00396/AS/LJ RELATING TO LAND AT CHARTER HOUSE, PARK STREET, ASHFORD AND PROVIDING FOR PLANNING OBLIGATIONS IN RESPECT OF THE SAME.
1ST SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT DATED 02/04/2015 (PLANNING REFERENCE: 14/00899/AS)
2ND SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT DATED 26TH JULY 2016 THIS MODIFIES THE 1ST SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT DATED 2ND APRIL 2015
DATED 07/12/2012


17    14/0089/AS

THE CONVERSION AND ALTERATION OF CHARTER HOUSE TO PROVIDE UP TO 234 ONE AND MO-BED FLATS AND UP TO

3,581M2 OF FLEXIBLE COMMERCIAL FLOORSPACE (USE CLASSES Bl OFFICE, Al RETAIL, A2 FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL, Ad RESTAURANT, DI COMMUNITY, D2 GYM ONLY) AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF MO NEW BUILDINGS PROVIDING 110 FLATS

INCLUDING ASSOCIATED PARKING AND LANDSCAPING, INCLUDING OPEN AND COVERED AMENITY SPACE TO ROOFTOP LEVEL. THE PANORAMA, PARK STREET, ASHFORD, KENT

APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS 29/10/2014

REGISTERED IN THE LAND CHARGES REGISTER 02/04/2015

 28   14/00899/AMND/AS

REVISION TO THE APPROVED ELEVATIONS TO INCLUDE SURFACE MOUNTED RAINWATER GOODS TO THE FACADES,

ADDITION/OMISSION OF SMOKE SHAFTS TO ROOFSCAPE, INCREASE IN HEIGHT OF LIFT OVERRUNS TO BOTH THE EAST & WEST

APARTMENT BLOCKS ON PLANNING PERMISSION REFERENCE 14/00899/AS FOR THE THE CONVERSION AND ALTERATION OF

CHARTER HOUSE TO PROVIDE UP TO 234 ONE AND TWO BED FLATS AND UP TO 3, 581 W OF FLEXIBLE COMMERCIAL

FLOORSPACE (USE CLASSES Bl OFFICE, Al RETAIL, A2 FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL, A3 RESTAURANT, DI COMMUNITY, D2 GYM ONLY) AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF TWO NEW BUILDINGS PROVIDING 110 FLATS INCLUDING ASSOCIATED PARKING AND LANDSCAPING, INCLUDING OPEN AND COVERED AMENITY SPACE TO ROOF TOP LEVEL. THE PANORAMA, PARK STREET, ASHFORD, KENT

RECEIVED 14/09/2018

49  21/00642/AS

APPLICATION PURSUANT TO S. 106A OF THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT TO AMEND S. 106 AGREEMENT RELATING TO

THE GRANT OF PLANNING PERMISSION REFERENCE 08/00396/AS (INCLUDING SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS) THE PANORAMA, PARK STREET, ASHFORD, KENT

RECEIVED 09/04/2021

Apparently the majority of this information has only been requested in the last few weeks by the buyers conveyancer, why the hell did they not request this information near the start of the process? Secondly, just how important is this information to the sale of my flat? Are we dealing with an overly fussy and overly pedantic conveyancer here who is just trying to cover their !!!!!!, or is every piece of information they have requested 100% vital to the sale of the property?

user1977

From a quick look, I suspect all of this is available to be instantly downloadable, for free, by anybody who bothers going to the planning department's webpage...

https://ashfordboroughcouncil.my.site.com/pr/s/register-view?c__r=Arcus_BE_Public_Register

tacpot12

Only the buyer has inluence over their solicitor. Perhaps you should tlak to them to see how they feel it is going? 

Tiglet2

These documents should be available at your Council, though a lot of them do now charge a fee to account for their time locating, printing and/or emailing them to your solicitor.  You, as the seller, would need to pay for them.

Alternatively, you may have some of these documents in the purchaser's pack when you bought the property so worth taking a look, before paying out for duplicates of documents you already have.

The developer also may have copies of some of the documents, but, again, they may want a fee to spend time accessing them.

Unfortunately, it would be very unlikely that the buyer's solicitor would go ahead and proceed without the documents.  They are available, it's just a matter of obtaining them and the solicitor is doing their due diligence by asking for them.  Conveyancing is the most 'sued' legal profession, so while they may be covering themselves, it is necessary.

Just be aware that by obtaining these documents and forwarding them to the buyer's solicitor may result in further enquiries. 

Four months into the transaction of a leasehold apartment is not unusual at all today and solicitors only consider the transaction from the point of receipt of draft contracts, not before.