Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Bristol is not on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should contact the Bristol conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
My son is about to exchange on a new build apartment in Bristol with a mortgage from Co-operative. His solicitor has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Co-operative conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
Am I right to be concerned about 3rd parties that I am dealing with are suggesting a web based conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Bristol conveyancing practice?
As is the case with lots of service providers, often suggestions from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. Yet there are numerous players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies may put forward lawyers to use. On occasion these lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there might be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are free to appoint your own lawyer. You need to be aware that most mortgage providers operate an approved list of conveyancers you have to use for the lender related work in your house move.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my father I am disposing of a house in Swansea but I am based in Bristol. My lawyer (approximately 235 kilometers awayrequires that I sign a stat dec prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Bristol to attest and place their company stamp on the document?
Technically speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Bristol
If all goes to plan we aim to complete the sale of our £200,000 garden flat in Bristol on Thursday in a week. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Bristol?
Bristol conveyancing on leasehold flats usually involves the buyer’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is under no legal obligation to address such questions the majority will be willing to do so. They may charge a reasonable charge for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the information that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The administration charge levied by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration charges, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have little option but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.
I purchased a ground floor flat in Bristol, conveyancing formalities finalised 10 years ago. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding flats in Bristol with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease expires on 21st October 2092
With just 68 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as costs.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.
If instructed can a conveyancer remove a name from the title of my home in Bristol ?
Subtracting or adding someone to the title of your property is relatively straightforward. You’ll need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner to discuss your legal rights before you can proceed with a transfer of property. Contact us to book a free consultation with one a lawyer