I am hoping to receive a mortgage with Lloyds. I hope to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Axbridge. Does the Lloyds Solicitor panel include Licensed Conveyancers?
The Lloyds approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, represented by the Council or Mortgage Lenders or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
I own a freehold residence in Axbridge yet invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It is rare for properties in Axbridge and has limited impact for conveyancing in Axbridge but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges have existed for many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
We had selected solicitors with offices in Axbridge on the Coventry BS solicitor approved list. They are now charging me a supplemental fee for dealing with the Coventry BS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Coventry BS?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your solicitor is entitled to charge a fee for this. The fee is not set by Coventry BS but by your Axbridge conveyancing practitioner. Plenty of firms on the Coventry BS panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some practices incorporate it on their overall fee.
We expect to receive a AIP from Santander this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Santander recommend any Axbridge solicitors on the Santander conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Axbridge solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Santander conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Santander through the process.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in July 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, UBS are being problematic. The Axbridge solicitor who is on the UBS conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but UBS are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do UBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that UBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why UBS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
The deeds to our house are lost. The solicitors who conducted the conveyancing in Axbridge 10 years ago are no longer around. What are my options?
Assuming you have a registered title the details of your proprietorship will be recorded by the Land Registry under a Title Number. It is easy to perform a search at the Land Registry, locate your property and order current copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for £20 inclusive of VAT.
I'm buying my first flat in Axbridge with the aid of help to buy. The sellers would not move on the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not inform my conveyancer about the deal as it could affect my mortgage with the bank. Is this normal?.
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.
Do I need to be suspicious about third parties that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use an internet conveyancing firm rather than a High Street Axbridge conveyancing firm?
As with lots of service providers, often recommendations from connections can be worth their weight in gold. Yet there are many parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders may recommend solicitors to choose. Sometimes the lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to appoint your own lawyer. You need to be aware that some banks have an approved list of lawyers you have to use for the lender related work in your conveyancing.