My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Coventry. I need to find out whether they are accepted on the Skipton Building Society conveyancing panel. Can you advise?
You should e-mail your conveyancer and ask them whether they can act for the bank. Otherwise you can get in touch with Skipton Building Society who may be able to confirm.
is it true that all Coventry solicitor firms on the Co-operative conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As solicitors, in order to be on the Co-operative approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the SRA. Some banks do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the practice would be regulated by the CLC.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Coventry. My financial adviser suggested a property lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £200. Not long after, the conveyancing practitioner called me to say that they were not on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Virgin Money panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I have instructed a Coventry conveyancing practitioner having checked that they are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Nottingham will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nottingham will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your property lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Coventry postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Nottingham, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Coventry.
I got the keys to my home on 2 October and the transaction details is yet to be registered. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Coventry advises it should be formalised inside ten days. Are properties in Coventry particularly slow to register?
As far as conveyancing in Coventry is concerned, registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. Rather than based on location, timescales can differ depending on the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry have to notify any third persons or bodies. Currently approximately 80% of submission are fully dealt with within two weeks but occasionally there can be protracted hold-ups. Registration occurs after the new owner has moved in to the premises thus 'speed' is not always an essential issue but where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers must speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
Is it simple use your search tool to choose a conveyancing practitioner in Coventry on the panel for my lender?
First choose a bank such as National Westminster Bank, Bank of Scotland or Britannia then choose your location e.g. Coventry. Conveyancing practices in Coventry and further afield will then be identified.
I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Coventry. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have recently received a half-yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?
The sensible thing to do is pay the service charge as you normally would as all ground rent and service charges should be apportioned as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I acquired a ground floor flat in Coventry, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Coventry with an extended lease are worth £206,000. The ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease runs out on 21st October 2092
You have 66 years unexpired we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £12,400 and £14,200 plus costs.
The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
I am hoping to buy a repossessed flat in Coventry and the bank selling require completion within a month. Can a solicitor meet that timeframe? Would it be better to select a local Coventry firm or an online organisation that professes to offer speedy conveyancing?
Attend your Coventry high street. Pop in to two or three companies and request to see a conveyancing solicitor for a quote. Discuss your needs and seek a commitment on deadlines. Select the one that appears most efficient. Make sure to choose a property lawyer on the panel of lawyers acceptable to your mortgage company.