We are a couple about to sign contracts for a leasehold flat in Clerkenwell. We encountered a snag. Our mortgage offer with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society expires on 27/7/2026 but the owners are putting forward a completion date of 29/7/2026. Is it possible to extend the loan expiry date?
The best person to deal with your issue is your conveyancer who will calculate whether he or she is should be discussing with the mortgage broker, vendor’s solicitors, property agents or indeed all three taking into account the circumstances your house move to date.
When it comes to lenders such as Aldermore, do Clerkenwell property lawyers incur a fee to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Skipton. Clerkenwell conveyancing practitioners were appointed. How long does it take for Skipton to issue the offer to the conveyancing practitioner?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Skipton done the survey? Have you advised Skipton as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Skipton conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
I am due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in January 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, RBS are being problematic. The Clerkenwell solicitor who is on the RBS conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but RBS are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do RBS have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that RBS have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why RBS may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our house are lost. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Clerkenwell 10 years ago have long since closed. Will I be able to sell the house?
You no longer need to have the physical official documentation to establish that you are the owner of your registered land or premises, given that the Land Registry have everything they need in a digital format.
I am buying a new build flat in Clerkenwell. Conveyancing is a frightening process 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 conveyancing.
Here is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Clerkenwell
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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. 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. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Clerkenwell is the location of the property. Can you offer any guidance?
Flying freeholds in Clerkenwell are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Clerkenwell you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Clerkenwell may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
My fiance and I are hoping to buy a four room apartmentin Clerkenwell with a home loan from a bank. We would like to retain our conveyancer in Clerkenwell yet our bank advise he's not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct from the our mortgage company panel solicitors or keep our Clerkenwell solicitor and incur the extra legals for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage company home loan offered to you is subject to conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the mortgage company's conveyancing panel. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels, including many conveyancing solicitors in Clerkenwell : 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. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your bank.