I am progressing with the sale of my home in Chester and the EA has just telephoned to advise that the buyers are appointing a new solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named lender only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Chester ?
UK lenders have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
We are buying a property and the lawyer has raised the issue of Chancel Repair for which the property may be obligated to pay as it falls into the area of such a church. He has suggested insurance. Is this strictly required for conveyancing in Chester
Unless a previous purchase of the premises took place post 12 October 2013 you can take it that conveyancing practitioners delivering conveyancing in Chester to remain encouraging a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in Chester. Now, I need my files but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Chester 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.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and found one near me in Chester I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Chester in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a home loan that many years may be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.
What tools are available to locate a Chester solicitor on the Lloyds TSB Bank conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am prepared to travel upto 10kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the facility on this website. Please pick a lender and your location and you will see a number of Chester conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Chester conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can contact them to verify if they are on the Lloyds TSB Bank panel
I today plan to offer on a house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in Chester. Conveyancing advisers have are soon to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?
Most houses in Chester are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Chester so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Chester conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the upkeep of the communal areas where the property is located on an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Chester - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing
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Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the company managing the building as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. As the owner of a leasehold property you will be at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily issues like the upkeep of the common parts. Ask other people whether they are happy with them. In conclusion, be sure you know the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and precisely what you get for your money. Does the lease contain onerous restrictions? What is the name of the managing agents?