We previously selected solicitors based in Camberwell on the Coventry BS solicitor panel. They are now charging me a further charge for handling the Coventry BS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Coventry BS?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your lawyer is entitled to levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Coventry BS but by your Camberwell conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the Coventry BS panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but some practices include it on their overall fee.
I have a mortgage with TSB for my property in Camberwell. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform TSB?
Your original mortgage agreement with TSB will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of TSB’s mortgage conditions. It may be that TSB 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 TSB directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a TSB conveyancing panel lawyer.
I can not fathom if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called my Camberwell bank branch on numerous occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Camberwell conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called and was told they would not lend based on their specific requirements. Who do I believe?
Provided that the solicitor is on the lender panel, she or he must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions 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 mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
We are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our house in Camberwell and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any local lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using an online conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Camberwell. We have lived in Camberwell for three years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of 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 sickness)
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Camberwell. I now require my file however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Camberwell of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I'm buying my first flat in Camberwell with the aid of help to buy. The sellers refused to reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not reveal to my conveyancer about the side-deal as it may put at risk my mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Is this normal?.
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.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my uncle I am disposing of a property in Newport but I am based in Camberwell. My conveyancer (who is 260 miles awayrequires that I execute a statutory declaration prior to the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Camberwell to attest this legal document for me?
Technically speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are Camberwell based
Why is it not possible to complete our conveyancing in Camberwell on May bank holiday?
Because on completion the money needs to be transferred electronically between the banks of the purchaser and seller's property lawyer and at present this can only occur on a working day. So you can't complete on a weekend either.