My partner and I are planning to purchase a home in Blackwall and have instructed a Blackwall conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Santander have this evening contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Blackwall solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
If you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Blackwall solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
We wish to acquire a newly converted apartment in Blackwall with a residential mortgage from Barclays .We would like to retain our Blackwall conveyancing lawyer but Barclays advised that her practice is not on their "panel". we are left little option but to use a Barclays panel firm or retain our local solicitor and pay for a Barclays panel lawyer to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you contains terms and conditions, a common one being that solicitors needs to be on the Barclays approved list. Until recently, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find 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 lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Barclays
I am assisting my step-mother sell her house in Blackwall. Does the conveyancing solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or do I organise this?
After the demise of HIPs, energy performance certificates remained a required part of selling a property. An EPC must be to hand before the property is marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers normally arrange. Where you are using a Blackwall conveyancing solicitor they may be willing to arrange EPC’s given their contacts with long established Blackwall providers
It is unclear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called my Blackwall bank branch on numerous occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Blackwall conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called and was told they will not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I have no idea who is right.
Provided that the solicitor is on the mortgage company panel, she or he must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Coventry BS are being difficult. The Blackwall solicitor who is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Coventry BS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Coventry BS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Coventry BS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Coventry BS 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.
We are selling our house in Blackwall and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers used a nationwide conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Blackwall. Having lived in Blackwall for many years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to get clarification that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Blackwall is where the house is located. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Blackwall are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Blackwall you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Blackwall may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
It has taken forever and a day but a loan offer from a lender for the remortgage of my 3 bedroom garden flat is coming by the end of next week. Are you able to suggest an efficient remortgage conveyancing law firm in Blackwall ?
You have come to the wrong place to search for a cheap conveyancing solicitors in Blackwall. Our intention is to offer value for money conveyancing but our intention is not to advertise as being the cheapest. Avoid the trap of appointing brokers offering low cost conveyancing in Blackwall.At best, in going for cheap conveyancing, you will end up with what you pay for and at worst you will end up being stung for extras and still not get the service expected.