Charity Golf 2019
We are looking forward to our 11th annual charity golf day at Silvermere golf course on the 30th of September this year. The event is in aid of Help for Heroes who do great work assisting armed forces veterans, service personnel and their families.
If you’d like to take part in this event, we have spaces available. See the flyer or contact us at golf@carpenterssolicitors.co.uk for further details.
Read More
Free seminar for first-time home buyers
If you’re a first-time buyer, this event is for you.
A panel of friendly experts (including our own Rebecca Mabert) will give presentations. They also will be glad to answer all of your questions about getting on the property ladder – there is no such thing as a silly question.
- Place: The Ginger Frog, 53 Woodcote Road, Wallington SM6 0PH
- Time: Thursday 4th April, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
- Booking: If you’d like to attend, email reserve@ftb-uk.com for your free e-ticket.
But hurry! There are only 50 seats available.
See the image below for further details.
A Chilling Forecast: England and Wales to See a Sharp Rise in Probate Fees from April 2019
The Government has announced major changes to probate fees, which means applications for a Grant of Probate may cost some families £6,000 or more – unless the estate is worth less than £50,000, in which case no fee will be payable on application.
Currently, probate fees – paid when administering someone’s estate after they die – are fixed at £0 for estates worth £5,000 or less and £215 (or £155 when applying through a solicitor) for estates valued over £5,000.
The good news is that the £0 fee threshold is set to extend to estates worth up to £50,000 from April 2019, which means that approximately 25,000 estates per year will be exempt from paying probate fees to the Probate Registry.
The bad news, however, is that if the estate’s value is higher than £50,000, applicants will see a sharp increase in probate fees. Estates that are worth between £50,000 and £300,000 will be charged £250, while estates with a value of £300,000 or more will be charged on a sliding scale up to a maximum charge of £6,000 for estates worth £2 million or more.
These changes could also prove challenging for executors if the deceased was ‘capital rich but cash poor’ meaning they had little money in their bank account but significant wealth tied up in property or investments which cannot be accessed until the Grant of Probate has been obtained. On a practical note this means that unless funds are freed to cover the probate costs the executors will have to pay the fees personally.
See also:
https://www.ft.com/content/fa2ba466-e365-11e8-a6e5-792428919cee
Read More
Carpenter & Co Charity Golf Day – Silvermere Golf Club
Help for Heroes
Thank you to everyone who came and supported out Annual Charity Golf Day at Silvermere Golf Club on 24th September 2018 being the 10th anniversary of this prestigious event. A good time was had by all, raising money for Help For Heroes.
Our support of this worthy cause depends on the generosity and unending support of the people who give up their time and money to join us each year at this event. We raised thousands of pounds and could not have done it without you our amazing supporters! We would like to also thank Chris Parker Brigadier (retired) MBE, for joining us and for sharing his account of his 28 years’ service to HM Forces.
Thank you also for the many kind donations to our Raffle and Auction.
In case you missed it, our winners were:
- Winning Team – Rob Preston, Michael Fowler, Lee Challis & Gary Challis
- Individual Overall Winner – Bob Grace
- Individual 2nd place – David Sweeting
- Individual 3rd place – Myles Verlander
- Nearest the Pin – Anton Males
- Longest Drive – Jay Cordwell
- The purchase is a single dwelling
- Property price is not more than £500,000
- The purchaser or purchasers are first time buyers intending to occupy the dwelling as a main residence
- Linked Transactions – other than the linked transaction being the purchase of a garden, grounds on interest or rights in the land that benefit the dwelling, such as rights of way.
- The property must be of a single dwelling, for example a house or a flat.
- The purchase price must be under £500,000.
- The purchaser(s) must be individuals – if there is more than one purchaser, each individual must be a first time buyer.
- The property will be the buyer’s main residence.
- The effective date of the purchase (the completion date) must be on or after 22nd November 2017. You can have exchanged before this date.
- Not to be linked to any other transaction.
Charity Golf
We are looking forward to our 10th annual charity golf day at Silvermere golf course on the 24th of September. The event is in aid of Help for Heroes who do great work assisting armed forces veterans, service personnel and their families.
If you’d like to take part in this event, we have spaces available for a few more teams. See the flyer or contact us at golf@carpenterssolicitors.co.uk for further details.
Read More
Alzheimer’s Society Cupcake Day
There’s nothing we love more than getting behind a worthy cause. Amy Ellis and Chloe Preston who are Dementia Friends have decided to run a Cupcake sale. We will be busy baking cakes to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society and selling them outside our offices on Tuesday, 12th June between 11.00am and 3.00pm.
Funds raised on the day are aimed to raise awareness for the fight against dementia. 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, and this is set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. We are proud to be taking part in Cupcake Day which is a brilliant and easy way to support the work of the UK’s leading dementia charity.
There will be bunting pages for kids to colour in and a selection of cakes to buy for a donation upwards of 50p.
Come along and treat yourself to a tasty little morsel in aid of an excellent charity!
Health & Wellbeing Event
The Health & Wellbeing Event of the Wallington Community Wellbeing Group took place on 27 April at the Trinity Centre in Maldon Road, Wallington, SM6 8BL.
We were proud to sponsor it.
The view from our stall
Good News for First Time Buyers!
In the Budget released on the 22nd November 2017 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a relief from stamp duty for first time buyers!
First time buyers purchasing their first home for under £300,000 will pay no stamp duty (SDLT). If the purchase price is over the £300,000 threshold but not exceeding £500,000 they will pay 5% on the amount above £300,000.
Prior to the relief being announced first time buyers would have paid the full stamp duty. For example on a property worth £270,000 would have had a £3,500 stamp duty fee payable. On a property worth £350,000 before the relief came into effect would have cost the first time buyer £7,500, whereas now it only costs £2,500!
Conditions for the relief
Who qualifies for the relief?
As a first time buyer you will qualify for the relief if you meet the following criteria: –
How does the purchaser claim the relief?
On completion your appointed solicitor will complete the Stamp Duty Land Tax return. The relief will be applied for within this form.
If you have any questions regarding the above, or if you wish to purchase your first property please contact us on 0208 669 5145 and ask for Gavin Cooper.
Read More
Family matters: Free 20 minute consultation
We understand it is a daunting prospect finding out what your rights are in relation to divorce or other family matters.
We at Carpenter & Co are here to listen, and offer a free 20 minute consultation to discuss general topics that may relate to your case. If however you require longer than 20 minutes there will be a charge of £100 plus VAT up to an hour of initial advice.
Call 020 8669 5145 today to book a free appointment with Patricia George.
Read More