Me and my fiance are hoping to purchase a 3 bedroom apartment in Bedfont with a mortgage. We have a Bedfont solicitor, however the bank says she’s not on their "panel". It appears that we have no option but to instruct one of the mortgage company panel firms or keep our Bedfont lawyer and pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. We consider that this is inequitable; can we not demand that the lender use our Bedfont property lawyer ?
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. A further alternative is for your Bedfont conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
I have a decision in principle. The bank mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to appoint their panel lawyer as I would much rather instruct a Bedfont based conveyancing firm?
You should check but the the likelihood is that give you one of their panel lawyers should you take up the "fee-free" deal. Contact the lender and see if they make available a cash alternative. It is not unheard for a lender to give a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case you could put that amount towards your preferred conveyancing solicitor in Bedfont.
We are buying a detached bungalow in Bedfont. Our aim is to an extension at the rear at the house.Will the conveyancing process include enquiries to see if these works are allowed?
Your solicitor will check the deeds as conveyancing in Bedfont will occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which prevent categories of alterations or necessitated the consent of a 3rd party. Some additions call for local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Kent Reliance. Bedfont conveyancing solicitors have been chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Kent Reliance?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Kent Reliance conducted the survey? Have you advised Kent Reliance as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in May 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, TSB are being difficult. The Bedfont solicitor who is on the TSB conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but TSB are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do TSB have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that TSB have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why TSB 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.
I'm buying my first flat in Bedfont benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not to tell my conveyancer about the side-deal as it could adversely affect my loan 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.
Last July I purchased a leasehold house in Bedfont. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
After months of negotiations we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Bedfont. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
Most certainly. We are happy to put you in touch with a Bedfont conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Bedfont residence is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 82.93 years.
What are my options where I am dissatisfied with the lawyer who did our conveyancing in Bedfont?
Occasionally the level of service you receive is not as you expect, and is is a fact of life that occasionally matters do not go as planned. However there is recourse where you were dissatisfied with your conveyancing in Bedfont. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a solicitor to their governing body. If you remain aggrieved you may consider getting in touch with the Legal Ombudsman.