Please explain the implications if my solicitor is expelled from the Leeds Building Society Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Arnside?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Arnside. I have a mortgage agreed with Kent Reliance. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Kent Reliance, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.
After weeks of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Arnside. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an advanced payment of £150. A couple of days later, the lawyer contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Santander conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Santander panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Kent Reliance. Is it usual for Kent Reliance to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Arnside is approved on their conveyancing panel? Kent Reliance have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Kent Reliance to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Should our solicitor be asking questions about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Arnside.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors dealing with homes in Arnside. There are those who acquire a property in Arnside, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that can be initiated by the buyer or by their conveyancers which will give them a better appreciation of the risks in Arnside. The standard completed inquiry forms supplied to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual question of the owner to discover whether the property has ever been flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could bring a claim for damages stemming from an misleading answer. The buyer’s solicitors should also order an environmental search. This should reveal if there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be initiated.
Me and my brother own a 4 bedroom Edwardian property in Arnside. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Virgin Money. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Arnside and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the position with your conveyancing practitioner who carried out the work.
I'm purchasing my first flat in Arnside with a mortgage from Chelsea Building Society. The sellers would not reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep told me not to tell my lawyer about the extras as it will jeopardize my loan with Chelsea Building Society. Should I keep quiet?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
I am downsizing from my house. My former conveyancers closed down. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Arnside if that makes a difference.
Please use our search tool to help you find a solicitor for your conveyancing in Arnside. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes with a minimum of fuss.