My wife and I are planning to acquire a property in Blakedown and are in fact using a Blakedown conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Clydesdale have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Blakedown lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
If you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. 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 lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Blakedown solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
We see that you have a search directory listing firms on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I appoint them for our conveyancing in Blakedown?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Blakedown.
I am considering applying for a Clydesdale mortgage for purchase of a new build (under development) in Blakedown with 65 per cent loan to value. Is it compulsory to choose a solicitor on the conveyancing panel for Clydesdale ?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Clydesdale will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
My stepmother advised me that in purchasing a property in Blakedown there may be various restrictions preventing external changes to a property. Is this right?
There are a number of properties in Blakedown which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Blakedown should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I am expecting a AIP from Nottingham 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 Nottingham recommend any Blakedown solicitors on the Nottingham conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Blakedown solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nottingham through the process.
I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in December 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, RBS are being pedantic. The Blakedown solicitor who is on the RBS conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but RBS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do RBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that RBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why RBS 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 have been sourcing a conveyancing practitioner in Blakedown for my home move. Is it possible to check a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
Anyone may find documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from inquisitions commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes recorded telephone calls for training purposes.
Last December I purchased a leasehold flat in Blakedown. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to 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. 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).
I purchased a 2 bed flat in Blakedown, conveyancing having been completed half a dozen years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Equivalent flats in Blakedown with an extended lease are worth £190,000. The ground rent is £65 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2088
With 62 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £17,100 and £19,800 plus legals.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to supply a more accurate figure without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you 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.