It is 10 years ago since I acquired my property in Eastleigh. Conveyancing solicitors have just been appointed on the sale but I can't find the deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your lender or they may still be with the solicitor who acted in the purchase. Secondly in all probability the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Eastleigh involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
We decided to purchase a 2 bedroom apartment in Eastleigh with a mortgage from Norwich and Peterborough Building Society.We have a Eastleigh conveyancing solicitor but Norwich and Peterborough Building Society advised that her practice is not on their "panel". We have to appoint a Norwich and Peterborough Building Society panel firm or retain our high street solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The home loan issued to you is subject to its various provisions, a common one being that lawyers needs to be on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society solicitor panel. in the past, most lenders had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find 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. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Norwich and Peterborough Building Society
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with TSB. I assume I don't need a Eastleigh solicitor on the TSB panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your TSB mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the TSB mortgage from the register. TSB, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where TSB has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- TSB has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I have a mortgage with Yorkshire BS for my property in Eastleigh. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Yorkshire BS?
Your original mortgage agreement with Yorkshire BS will provide that you need their approval prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Yorkshire BS’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Yorkshire BS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel firm.
I was told two weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Skipton. Is it usual for Skipton to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Eastleigh is approved on their conveyancing panel? Skipton have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurance Schedule.
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Skipton to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Skipton conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
My wife and I purchased a terraced Edwardian property in Eastleigh. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the matching property. Is it worth asking Norwich and Peterborough Building Society to clarify?
You need to assess 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 Eastleigh and other areas of 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 check the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the work.
Should I be suspicious that estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use an internet conveyancing firm rather than a local Eastleigh conveyancing company?
As with lots of professional services, often suggestions from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Yet there are lots of players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders might all put forward lawyers to use. On occasion these lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but sometimes there might be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to select your preferred lawyer. You need to be aware that most banks specify a panel list of law firms you have to use for the mortgage related work in your home move.
I am using a search engine for the term on line conveyancing in Eastleigh it brings up many conveyancerslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable solicitor for the sale of my house?
The preferential method of seeking the right conveyancer is through a personal referral, so ask colleagues and family who have purchased a property in Eastleigh or a reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Eastleigh vary, so it's advisable to secure at least three costs illustrations from different conveyancers. Make sure that you clarify that the fees are fixed.