I have just been advised by my mortgage adviser that my Coombe Dingle lawyer is not on the lender Conveyancing panel. What can I do to check?
The first thing you need to do is to contact your Coombe Dingle conveyancer. You lawyer should inform you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a Coombe Dingle conveyancing practice that is on the approved list of lawyers for your mortgage company.
At what point will exchange of contracts happen for domestic conveyancing in Coombe Dingle and am I required to attend the conveyancers office?
Where you are round the corner to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Coombe Dingle you are welcome to attend to sign contracts. That being said, the law practices we recommend supply a countrywide conveyancing service and give as equally comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The signing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract is necessary for the conveyancer to officially exchange when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where an extended "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Coombe Dingle)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
Is it the case that all Coombe Dingle conveyancing solicitors on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel are overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. Many mortgage companies do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the practice would be regulated by the CLC.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Coombe Dingle. I have a mortgage agreed with Lloyds. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Lloyds, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.
It is unclear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Coombe Dingle bank branch on numerous occasions and was told it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Coombe Dingle conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I have no idea who is right.
As long as the lawyer is on the bank panel, they must follow the CML Handbook conditions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender 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 lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
Is it necessary to take out insurance to address the risk of chancel repairs when acquiring a house in Coombe Dingle?
Unless a previous acquisition of the house completed post 12 October 2013 you can assume that conveyancing practitioners delivering conveyancing in Coombe Dingle to continue to propose a a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
My wife and I have a semi-detached Georgian property in Coombe Dingle. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Virgin Money. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. Is it worth asking Virgin Money to clarify?
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Coombe Dingle and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they mortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
I have been recommended by numerous selling agents in Coombe Dingle to select a conveyancer on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to promote your services over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?
We refuse to offer any commission for sending work our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.