Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Birstall is not listed on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of her conveyancing?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (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. Where you are concerned you should contact the Birstall conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
When it comes to lenders such as Skipton, do Birstall lawyers have to pay an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are unaware of any bank fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Bank of Ireland as we intend to carry out renovations to our house in Birstall. Are we obliged to select a high street Birstall solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
Bank of Ireland would not normally require firms on their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Bank of Ireland list.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Birstall off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Barclays. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.
Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may impact a commercial estate in Birstall?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Birstall will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Birstall. The report sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Birstall.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Birstall it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately could cause delays to Birstall commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Birstall.
My wife and I have a 4 bedroom Victorian house in Birstall. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Yorkshire Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Birstall and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
I'm purchasing my first flat in Birstall with a loan from Barclays . The sellers refused to move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The property agent advised me not inform my lawyer about the deal as it would adversely affect my mortgage with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.
I've recently bought a leasehold house in Birstall. Am I liable to pay service charges for periods before my ownership?
Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure 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).
I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Birstall, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Birstall with an extended lease are worth £171,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2104
With 79 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to range between £7,600 and £8,800 plus legals.
The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.