Me and my fiance are purchasing a 1 bedroom flat in Bromley with a mortgage. We like our Bromley conveyancer, but the lender says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel solicitors or continue with our Bromley lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel firms to act for them. We consider that this is inequitable; can we not demand that the lender use our Bromley property lawyer ?
Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’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 Bromley conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
Finally the sale completed on my house in Bromley last February but the buyer keeps e-mailing daily complaining that their lawyer needs to hear from mine. What are the post completion sale formalities following completion?
Following your sale your solicitor should deliver the transfer deeds and all of the paperwork to the purchaser's lawyers. If applicable, your conveyancer must also send confirmation that the home loan has been paid off to the purchasers solicitors. There is unlikely to be post completion tasks specific conveyancing in Bromley.
I am buying a terraced house in Bromley. Can I do my own conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Bromley you will have to appoint a solicitor on your lender's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Bromley.
I am assisting my step-mother sell her property in Bromley. Will the conveyancing solicitor arrange the EPC or should I organise this?
Following the demise of HIPs, energy performance certificates became a compulsory element of moving property. An EPC should be to hand in advance of the property being placed on the market. It is not something that solicitors ordinarily arrange. If you are using a Bromley conveyancing lawyer they might be able to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with long established local assessors
I have paid off my mortgage with Nationwide. I assume I don't need a Bromley conveyancing practitioner on the Nationwide panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Nationwide mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Nationwide mortgage from the register. Nationwide, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Nationwide has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Nationwide has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I currently have a mortgage with Lloyds for my property in Bromley. Conveyancing was finalised 12 months ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Lloyds?
Your original mortgage agreement with Lloyds will provide that you need their approval prior to renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Lloyds’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Lloyds will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Lloyds directly. You need not do this via a Lloyds conveyancing panel firm.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and identified one close by in Bromley I like with open areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Bromley suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?
If you need a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.
I need to find a conveyancing solicitor for sale conveyancing in Bromley. I happened to discover a web site which seems to have the perfect offering If it is possible to get all the legals done via web that would be ideal. Do I need to be concerned? What should out be looking out for?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?