Navigating the property market can be a complex process, especially in bustling areas like North London. Whether you’re buying or selling, having a professional by your side can make a significant difference. This is where a conveyancing solicitor in North London comes into play, ensuring that your property transaction proceeds smoothly and efficiently.
Understanding the Role of a Conveyancing Solicitor
A conveyancing solicitor specialises in the legal aspects of buying and selling property. Their responsibilities include:
- Preparing and reviewing contracts
- Conducting local authority searches
- Liaising with mortgage lenders
- Ensuring the transfer of funds
- Registering the new ownership with the Land Registry
Engaging a conveyancing solicitor in North London ensures that all these tasks are handled professionally, reducing the risk of delays or legal complications.
Benefits of Hiring a Local Conveyancing Solicitor
- Local Knowledge: A conveyancing solicitor in North London possesses in-depth knowledge of the local property market, including any regional regulations or common issues that may arise.
- Efficient Communication: Being in close proximity allows for easier communication and quicker response times, facilitating a more streamlined process.
- Personalised Service: Local solicitors often provide a more personalised service, understanding the unique needs and concerns of clients in the area.
The Conveyancing Process Simplified
Engaging a conveyancing solicitor in North London simplifies the property transaction process:
- Initial Consultation: Discuss your needs and understand the process ahead.
- Drafting Contracts: The solicitor prepares or reviews the contract of sale, ensuring all terms are fair and legal.
- Conducting Searches: Essential searches are carried out to uncover any potential issues with the property.
- Exchange of Contracts: Once both parties are satisfied, contracts are exchanged, making the agreement legally binding.
- Completion: The transaction is finalised, funds are transferred and ownership is officially changed.
Why Choose a Conveyancing Solicitor in North London
Opting for a conveyancing solicitor in North London offers several advantages:
- Expertise: They are well-versed in local property laws and market conditions.
- Accessibility: Easier to arrange face-to-face meetings if needed.
- Reputation: Local solicitors often rely on word-of-mouth and community trust, motivating them to provide excellent service.
Hiring a conveyancing solicitor in North London can significantly ease the stress of property transactions. Their local expertise, personalised service and professional handling of legal matters ensure a smoother experience for both buyers and sellers.
For more information or to discuss your conveyancing needs, contact YVA Solicitors.
Possession Proceedings – Unprecedented Changes (PD 55C)
The purpose of the changes is to take into account the effect of the pandemic on all parties maintaining confidence in fairness of outcomes, encouraging compromise and to ensure the defendants are provided with legal advice.
Current Restrictions
- Moratorium on forfeiture of business tenancies extended until 31 December 2020 and is further extended until 31 March 2021.
- In Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery proceedings (“CRAR”) the minimum unpaid rent must be equivalent to 276 days rent until 24 December 2020 and 366 days from 25 December 2020. The restriction on landlords using CRAR to recover unpaid rent will also automatically extend to the end of March, in line with the moratorium’s expiry date. This allows businesses sufficient breathing space to pay rent owed.
- PD 55C: Possession Proceedings
- Reactivation Notice required for stayed claims
- New notice requirements for new claims
Overall Arrangements
- Emphasis on compromise
- Legal advice and assistance for defendants
- Non-statutory best practice guidance:
– MHCLG guidance for private and social landlords and tenants
– NRLA Pre-Action Plan: Managing Arrears and avoiding possession claims
– FCA guidance ‘Mortgages and Coronavirus’ (to 31.7.2021)
– MHCLG Code of Practice for commercial property relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic (to 24.6.2021)
New Listing Priorities
- Court will no longer fix hearing dates when claim is issued
- No more block listing
- 21 days’ notice
- Cases will be given priority if they involve the following:
- Anti-Social behaviour allegations;
- Extreme rent arrears;
- Squatters or illegal occupiers and persons unknown;
- Fraud or Deception;
- Unlawful Subletting;
- Allegations of abandonment of the Property;
- Local authority temporary accommodation needed for reallocation
Covid-19 Case Marking
- Intended to highlight settlement suitability and assist the court in dealing with listing, case management and the exercise of discretion
- Any Defendant or private Claimant may request a case is marked
- Specified information required
- Upon making request must inform all other parties. Request will result in case marking unless objection raised
- Judge may also direct that a case is Covid-19 marked
Review and Substantive Hearing Dates
The Review (R) Date:
– a 5-minute non-attended appointment on the documents
– requirements of the claimant relating to bundles before R date
– requirement that claimant is available to discuss the case during the R date
– consequence of failure to resolve case on the R date
The Substantive (S) Hearing Date:
– a 15-minute hearing attended by all parties 28 days after the R Date
– a physical hearing unless the parties agree otherwise or contingency arrangements apply
– unless case resolved, a decision by the Court or further case management directions
– adjournment considered without application where advice not yet made available to Defendants and consequences of order ‘may be serious’
Accelerated Possession Claims
- As with existing rules, the court can still make a possession order without a hearing
- Reactivation notice requirements apply for stayed claims
- The same priorities apply as with normal cases in the order in which they will be dealt with
- Will be referred to judges “at a manageable frequency”
- Where the parties agree or there is no objection a review hearing can be ordered
Evictions
- 14 days’ notice of an eviction date required
- Indicated that applications for transfer to High Court will not be prioritised
- No execution of possession warrants or delivering notices of eviction between 17/11/2020 and 11/01/2021.
- The Public Health (Coronavirus)(Protection from Eviction and Taking Control of Goods)(England) Regulations 2020
- There will be no enforcement of possession orders “Where lockdown measures are in place to protect public health”
- No evictions over Christmas Period save for the most serious of cases
How will the arrangements work in Practice?
The key aims of the overall arrangements are to reduce volume in the system by enabling earlier advice and facilitating settlement. How well this works in Practice is yet to be seen. What we do know is that delays will be inevitable and Covid-19 Case Marking is likely to become the norm. In the circumstances, it appears the Accelerated possession claims may be the ‘Cinderella’ of the situation.
Possession Proceedings – Unprecedented Changes (PD 55C)
The purpose of the changes is to take into account the effect of the pandemic on all parties maintaining confidence in fairness of outcomes, encouraging compromise and to ensure the defendants are provided with legal advice.
Current Restrictions
- Moratorium on forfeiture of business tenancies extended until 31 December 2020 and is further extended until 31 March 2021.
- In Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery proceedings (“CRAR”) the minimum unpaid rent must be equivalent to 276 days rent until 24 December 2020 and 366 days from 25 December 2020. The restriction on landlords using CRAR to recover unpaid rent will also automatically extend to the end of March, in line with the moratorium’s expiry date. This allows businesses sufficient breathing space to pay rent owed.
- PD 55C: Possession Proceedings
- Reactivation Notice required for stayed claims
- New notice requirements for new claims
Overall Arrangements
- Emphasis on compromise
- Legal advice and assistance for defendants
- Non-statutory best practice guidance:
– MHCLG guidance for private and social landlords and tenants
– NRLA Pre-Action Plan: Managing Arrears and avoiding possession claims
– FCA guidance ‘Mortgages and Coronavirus’ (to 31.7.2021)
– MHCLG Code of Practice for commercial property relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic (to 24.6.2021)
New Listing Priorities
- Court will no longer fix hearing dates when claim is issued
- No more block listing
- 21 days’ notice
- Cases will be given priority if they involve the following:
- Anti-Social behaviour allegations;
- Extreme rent arrears;
- Squatters or illegal occupiers and persons unknown;
- Fraud or Deception;
- Unlawful Subletting;
- Allegations of abandonment of the Property;
- Local authority temporary accommodation needed for reallocation
Covid-19 Case Marking
- Intended to highlight settlement suitability and assist the court in dealing with listing, case management and the exercise of discretion
- Any Defendant or private Claimant may request a case is marked
- Specified information required
- Upon making request must inform all other parties. Request will result in case marking unless objection raised
- Judge may also direct that a case is Covid-19 marked
Review and Substantive Hearing Dates
The Review (R) Date:
– a 5-minute non-attended appointment on the documents
– requirements of the claimant relating to bundles before R date
– requirement that claimant is available to discuss the case during the R date
– consequence of failure to resolve case on the R date
The Substantive (S) Hearing Date:
– a 15-minute hearing attended by all parties 28 days after the R Date
– a physical hearing unless the parties agree otherwise or contingency arrangements apply
– unless case resolved, a decision by the Court or further case management directions
– adjournment considered without application where advice not yet made available to Defendants and consequences of order ‘may be serious’
Accelerated Possession Claims
- As with existing rules, the court can still make a possession order without a hearing
- Reactivation notice requirements apply for stayed claims
- The same priorities apply as with normal cases in the order in which they will be dealt with
- Will be referred to judges “at a manageable frequency”
- Where the parties agree or there is no objection a review hearing can be ordered
Evictions
- 14 days’ notice of an eviction date required
- Indicated that applications for transfer to High Court will not be prioritised
- No execution of possession warrants or delivering notices of eviction between 17/11/2020 and 11/01/2021.
- The Public Health (Coronavirus)(Protection from Eviction and Taking Control of Goods)(England) Regulations 2020
- There will be no enforcement of possession orders “Where lockdown measures are in place to protect public health”
- No evictions over Christmas Period save for the most serious of cases
How will the arrangements work in Practice?
The key aims of the overall arrangements are to reduce volume in the system by enabling earlier advice and facilitating settlement. How well this works in Practice is yet to be seen. What we do know is that delays will be inevitable and Covid-19 Case Marking is likely to become the norm. In the circumstances, it appears the Accelerated possession claims may be the ‘Cinderella’ of the situation.
