Are all Battersea Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
We previously selected conveyancing lawyers located in Battersea on the Nottingham solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate charge for dealing with the Nottingham mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Nottingham?
Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your property lawyer can levy a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Nottingham but by your Battersea conveyancer. Some firms on the Nottingham panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some firms include it on their overall fee.
I am buying a property in Battersea. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Aldermore have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is Aldermore your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Aldermore. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Aldermore where a lease does not satisfy these conditions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Battersea.
How does conveyancing in Battersea differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Battersea come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is constructed. This is because builders in Battersea usually buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Battersea or who has acted in the same development.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Battersea in advance of instructing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. Our surveyor advised that some lenders may not give a mortgage on a flying freehold property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions from Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Battersea. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
Is it possible to swap solicitor as I need to appoint one who is on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing list. I was using a high street conveyancing solicitor in Battersea round the corner but he is not approved by Bank of Scotland
It would be our pleasure to assist you find a conveyancing solicitor in Battersea on the Bank of Scotland panel. Please note that the property lawyers that we on the directory do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Battersea. In utilising the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this page, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Battersea.
My husband and I may need to rent out our Battersea basement flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We instructed a Battersea conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have closed and we did not think at the time get any guidance as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?
A lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the flat owner; in particular, it will set out if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Battersea do not prevent strict prohibition on subletting – such a provision would undoubtedly devalue the flat. In most cases there is a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly supplying a copy of the tenancy agreement.
We have reached the end of our tether in negotiating a lease extension in Battersea. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Where there is a absentee freeholder or if there is dispute about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant legislation you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the price payable.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Battersea premises is 150A Albert Palace Mansions Lurline Gardens in July 2013. The Tribunal determined that the premium payable for the new lease of the subject property was £42,069 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 57.06 years.
Partway through the sale of a leasehold flat in Battersea. Conveyancing is fine but we are being charged a fortune from the landlord. So far we have issued a cheque for £225 for a leasehold management information and then a further £118 for answers to queries raised by the buyers lawyer.
You will not have control over the extent of the bill for this information however the typical fee for the information for Battersea leasehold property is £395. For Battersea conveyancing deals it is standard for the owner to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no statutory obligation to address these questions although many will agree to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Regretfully there is no statute that mandates capped fees for administrative tasks. Nor is there any legal time frame by which they are required to supply answers.