Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of Chatham conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Principality conveyancing panel?
Chatham conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Principality conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Principality directly.
The Chatham conveyancing solicitors that I recently instructed on my house acquisition in Chatham have suddenly closed. I only went with them because I needed a firm on the HSBC conveyancing panel and my family Chatham lawyer was not. I paid them £170 on account. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the HSBC conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to assist.
My solicitor has informed me that restrictive coveneant insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Chatham conveyancing?
The right level of restrictive coveneant indemnity insurance should be dictated by who your lender. It would differ for example between Birmingham Midshires and Barnsley Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.
I am the sole beneficiary of my late mum's will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in Chatham. The Chatham property was put into my name in December. I plan to dispose of the house. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship could be considered the same way as if I'd bought the house in December. Is the property unsalable for six months?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be affected by that. How sensible a view lenders take of it, depend on the lender as this provision principally exists to identify subsales or the quick reselling of property.
I was told two weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Coventry BS. Is it usual for Coventry BS to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Chatham is approved on their conveyancing panel? Coventry BS have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Coventry BS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Chatham. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.
Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Chatham
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The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Please supply evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandmother I am disposing of a house in Neath but live in Chatham. My lawyer (based 200 miles awayneeds me to sign a stat dec prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing solicitor in Chatham who can attest this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are not likely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in Chatham
My wife and I purchased a leasehold flat in Chatham. Conveyancing and Santander mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Chatham who acted for me is not around. Do I pay?
First make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that this person is in fact the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Chatham conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for £3. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.
Chatham Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing
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Make sure you enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For instance it is very common in Chatham leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Chatham. If you like the apartmentin Chatham but your dog is not allowed to live with you then you will be faced difficult determination. The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this arrangement the leaseholders enjoy being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is often retained where it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. It is important to be aware whether changing the roof or some other significant cost is pending that will be shared between the leasehold owners and will materially increase the the maintenance charges or necessitate a one time invoice.