What can be done about trees with TPOs if they are cutting out the light into the house?
Tree Preservation Orders (or TPOs) are legal protections for individual trees, which means you are prohibited from pruning, cutting or removing the plant without the formal consent of the local authority. There are certain caveats such as whether it is causing an immediate danger to life, but the local authority will still need to be informed.
As a homeowner, you have a number of rights, including Right to Light: that is, you should expect natural daylight to enter your property through windows without being blocked (again there may be caveats which will be unearthed in the conveyancing). If a tree with a TPO has grown so much that it is blocking out light, you can apply to the local authority for permission to prune the tree sufficiently to return your Right to Light. It becomes more complex if the tree in question is on a neighbour’s property, and you should discuss any resulting costs with them.
Homeward Legal's solicitors have years of experience in dealing with all sorts of legal issues including TPOs, providing you with practical guidance and help. We are best placed to help you with your move, so call our team on 0800 038 6699 today.
What should I do about the transfer of ownership of the utility billing?
It is the responsibility of the former owners to inform the utilities firms (gas, electricity, water, etc.) that they are moving.
You should give your current suppliers at least 48 hours’ notice that you’re moving home and, when you leave your old property, you should take all the necessary readings and send them to your old supplier(s) along with your forwarding address, so that they can send you a final bill and sort out any credit you might be owed.
You should give your new utility suppliers at least 48 hours giving your personal details for the new property. When you move into your new property, you should take all the readings again and send them to the new suppliers so that they have a record of where to start the bills running.
Can I withdraw my offer on a property at any time?
When you make an offer on a house that has been accepted by the vendor, you can ask them to take it off the market as part of the acceptance. If you are selling, you can show your intent by agreeing to remove it from other potential buyers’ interest.
As a buyer, you can withdraw your offer at any time (and, as a seller, you can reject an offer at any time) up to the exchange of contracts, which means you are now legally committed to go through with the transaction at the agreed price. You should check your contract with both the estate agent and your conveyancing solicitor as there may be fees and other penalties associated with pulling out of the transaction after the offer was initially agreed.
If you decide to withdraw from the contract after exchange, then you are in breach. This means, if you’re the buyer, the seller is entitled to keep whatever agreed sum has been set for the deposit, and could claim damages; as the seller, you will be liable to pay interest accrued during the Notice to Complete period as well as the deposit, and the potential for claiming losses, and the buyer has to return everything about the property at the seller’s expense.
Can I defer paying stamp duty to HM Revenue?
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) usually must be paid on houses sold for more than one hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds. Stamp duty mitigation scheme should not be considered. These schemes are often uneconomical and HMRC may challenge a scheme up to six years later meaning that the full stamp duty amount will then be due.
How do we calculate stamp duty and what amount should we budget for a £1012000 house?
Stamp Duty is based on a small range of considerations, primarily the house's purchase price. On a £1012000 house or flat in Goodrich, stamp duty will be £50600.*
*Correct as of February 2013
Is gazumping common practice in Goodrich?
Gazumping happens when an offer is, following agreement, later rejected by the property owner, choosing instead a second buyer's offer. Although being gazumped is less common in a declining market, there will always be a risk. Instructing an efficient solicitor early is a key first step to reducing this risk.
Which local authority is responsible for Goodrich?
Goodrich is located in Herefordshire Council, Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1SH, Tel: 01432 260 001
What average time should I expect it to take my designated property lawyer to exchange contracts all of the conveyancing work for the top floor of period building we are buying in Goodrich?
The legal process can take anywhere from 3 weeks and 12 weeks dependent on various issues for example the speed of the vendor's property lawyer, or the time taken getting replies to enquiries.