Me and my partner are purchasing a 3 bedroom apartment in Ash with a mortgage. We like our Ash conveyancer, however the bank says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel firms or keep our Ash lawyer and pay for one of their panel firms to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Ash conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
It is is a decade since I acquired my property in Ash. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been instructed on the sale but I am unable to track down the title documents. Will this jeopardise the sale?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be retained by the lender or they could still be with the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Ash relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it is more problematic but is resolvable.
I am assisting my mother sell her house in Ash. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission an energy performance certificate or it is for the seller to see to?
Following the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy assessments was retained a compulsory component of selling a house. An energy performance certificate must be to hand before the property is put on the market. It is not a task that law firms normally organise. Where you are using a Ash conveyancing practitioner they might be able to arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with long established local energy assessors
I have a mortgage with Bank of Ireland for my property in Ash. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Bank of Ireland?
You must advise Bank of Ireland before letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Bank of Ireland’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Bank of Ireland will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Bank of Ireland directly. You need not do this via a Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel firm.
About to purchase house in Ash. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Ash conveyancing practitioner is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.
Just bought a semi-detached house in Ash , how long will it take for the Land Registry to record my ownership? My Ash conveyancing solicitor has been painfully slow, so I want to be certain the land registry aspects are dealt with.
As far as conveyancing in Ash is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of the country. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can differ according to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry must send notices to any third persons or bodies. Currently roughly 80% of such applications are fully addressed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Historically registration occurs after the buyer has moved in to the premises thus an expedited registration is not always top priority but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers can contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Ash for my home move. Is there any facility to check a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?
Anyone can review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may monitor telephone calls for training purposes.
How easy is it to change a solicitor as I need to find a Ash based conveyancer who is on the bank conveyancing panel. Is it advisable to appoint a new law firm?
If you haven't yet instructed a conveyancer to start work and have just received quotes, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Ash that you're considering.