Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Ashford is not listed on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of her work?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should contact the Ashford conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
The Ashford conveyancing lawyers that I recently instructed on my purchase in Ashford have suddenly closed. I only went with them because I had to have a solicitor on the Nottingham conveyancing panel and my family Ashford lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What are my options?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist.
My friend suggested that where I am buying in Ashford I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is sometimes included in the estimate for your Ashford conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about Ashford around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Ashford.
I'm buying my first flat in Ashford with a mortgage from National Westminster Bank. The sellers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The house builders rep advised me not inform my solicitor about the side-deal as it would jeopardize my loan with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
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.
What does commercial conveyancing in Ashford cover?
Ashford conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad array of services, supplied by qualified solicitors, relating to business property. For instance, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the assignment of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.
My uncle has encouraged me to use his lawyers for conveyancing in Ashford. Should I choose my own property lawyer?
Much as we are happy to recommend a Ashford conveyancing lawyer it’s preferable to find a conveyancing practitioner is to seek feedback from friends or family who have previously instructed the conveyancer that you are considering.