Me and my partner are buying a flat in Dorset. My property lawyer has never been on on the mortgage company solicitor panel. Is it possible for me to use my Dorset conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the bank list of approved lawyers?
Various options include
- Complete the deal with your preferred Dorset property lawyer but your lender will undoubtedly instruct a property lawyer on their conveyancing panel. This will result in additional cost and likely delay.
- Get a fresh property lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, ensuring that they are on the lender conveyancing panel.
- Appeal to your property lawyer to attempt to join the mortgage company panel
At what point does exchange of contracts happen for residential conveyancing in Dorset and am I required to be at the lawyers branch?
Where you are round the corner to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Dorset you are welcome to come in to sign contracts. However, the lender approved solicitors we recommend provide a national conveyancing service and give as equally detailed and professional a job for you when communicating with you digitally. The signing of the sale agreement is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract is necessary for the firm to exchange contracts at the suitable time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Dorset)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
I am assisting my niece sell her flat in Dorset. Does the solicitor commission the energy assessment or it is for the owner to see to?
Following the demise of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was maintained a required component of selling a house. An energy assessment must be to hand in advance of the property being placed on the market. It is not something that law firms normally arrange. Where you are using a Dorset conveyancing practitioner they might be able to arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with long established local energy assessors
I have been told by my lawyer that chancel insurance is required on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Dorset conveyancing?
The right level of chancel indemnity insurance should be dictated by who your lender. It would differ for example between Barclays and Leeds Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.
I can not work out if my lender requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Dorset building society branch on various occasions and was informed it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Dorset conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they will not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply don't know who is right.
The property lawyer has to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 conditions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company 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.
Me and my brother have a semi-detached Victorian house in Dorset. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Skipton Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Dorset and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.
I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Dorset in advance of retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor has said that some banks may not grant a loan on this type of home.
It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can investigate further via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Dorset. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Dorset to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
Are there any apps to help locate a Dorset law firm on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am prepared to travel upto 20kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the search on this website. Please choose the mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Dorset conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Dorset conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can call them to see if they are on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society approved list