My partner and I are buying a brand new flat in Cockermouth and my conveyancer is advising me that she has to the lender to reveal incentives from the builder. I am on a tight deadline to exchange and my preference is not to prolong matters. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancing practitioner. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
It is is a decade since I purchased my property in Cockermouth. Conveyancing lawyers have now been instructed on the sale but I can't track down the title documents. Is this a major issue?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a chance that the deeds will be retained by the mortgage company or they could stored with the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Cockermouth involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
Me and my partner are purchasing a flat in Cockermouth. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? On completion day we will need to send our life savings into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our money?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Cockermouth. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Cockermouth on 8/8/2025, valuation was booked 4 days later, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Barclays and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Are Barclays entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Barclays to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Barclays conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
We are planning on selling our house in Cockermouth and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed land that was not decontaminated. Any local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using an online conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Cockermouth. Having lived in Cockermouth for 4 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to seek clarification need.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You need to check with 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 life insurance to cover that same illness)
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Cockermouth is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Cockermouth are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Cockermouth you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Cockermouth 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 residence.
In surfing the world wide web for the phrase conveyancing in Cockermouth it reveals many property lawyersin the area. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for the sale of my house?
The best method of seeking a suitable conveyancer is through a personal referral, so enquire of colleagues and those you trust who have acquired a property in Cockermouth or a local estate agent or financial adviser. Fees for conveyancing in Cockermouth differ, so it's a good idea to request a minimum of three quotes from varying types of property lawyers. Dont forget to clarify that the costs are guaranteed not to escalate.