Updating post from Reddit.
None of the solicitors in my area are able to take on conveyancing for the cash sale of my 2nd floor freehold flat in Cornwall to its resident tenants.
Seems there's been a change in the law lately that means many solicitors firms are wary of taking on the sale of any flats above the first floor?!..
and the rest are, presumably as a result, overbooked..
Can anyone please recommend a solicitor in another part of the country who will definitely be able to take on conveyancing for this sale for me?
Wasted days now on instructing solicitors who come back later to say they can't do it after all!
Thank you...
There is nothing to make solicitors wary of conveyancing a 2nd floor flat. Is there something more to this?
They are all saying it's to do with new building regs or something to do with the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire; they are wary of flats on top of other flats
How tall is the building as a whole? Anything under 5 stores/11 meters is not an issue.
Three floors. I am not sure why they are all so afraid around here if what you say is the case. Are you able to recommend a solicitor who will not be worried, please? Otherwise a link to the accurate relevant legislation could be helpful in case I can use that to persuade any firms locally that you are correct..
Many thanks
Its the Building Safety Act 2022**.** I work in the SE and frankly the conveyancers I deal with I could not recommend.
If you know anyone who has recently sold a property, ask them and get a reason why they won't represent you. Using this as a excuse is poor.
No one wants the meither. It's an excuse tbh good luck, I'm sure you'll find someone eventually
seriously? why would they want to make excuses not to work..?
Because you can get about 4 houses done in the same amount of time it takes to do one flat but you can't in all conscience charge four times the price. When it's quiet you need a bit of everything on the go but when it's so busy and work is everywhere, you're just bogging yourself down going anywhere near flats. That's the crux of it
I think the issue is that it is a freehold flat where you own the walls if in the middke, but others own the roof etc. It is split horizontally vs vertcally. Even though you are not dealing with a buyer's reluctant bank, there are still issues just as with leaseholds regarding responsibilities.
I found this firm who have posted about needing deeds of covenant amongst the owners. So it sounds like more than a bog standard flat sale.they are not interested because of location (they are in the northeast), maybe they can put you onto a conveyancer who will serve your area.
https://www.williamsons-solicitors.co.uk/advice-and-article/the-risks-of-owning-a-freehold-flat/