I am 3 weeks into the sale of my house in Enfield Town and the estate agent has just called to advise that the purchasers are changing their law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Enfield Town ?
Banks have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.
Do banks and building societies provide you with an approved list of Enfield Town conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the TSB conveyancing panel?
Enfield Town conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the TSB conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from TSB directly.
After reading consumer advice sites for an affordable lawyer in Enfield Town, many say that I should instruct a CQS kitemarked solicitor. What is CQS?
Enfield Town Conveyancing Quality Scheme law firms have obtained accreditation under the Law Society's Scheme (CQS) CQS was brought about to establish evidence of quality standards in the in the legal transfer of properties. CQS enables home movers to recognise practices who provide a quality residential conveyancing. Enfield Town is one of the many areas in England and Wales in which accredited firms have a presence. The conveyancing scheme requires solicitors to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self-certification, spot checks and yearly assessments in order to maintain CQS status. It is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Legal Ombudsman.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Enfield Town. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Virgin Money have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is Virgin Money your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Virgin Money. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Virgin Money where a lease does not meet these specifications. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Enfield Town.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Enfield Town. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
At last I have had an offer on an apartment in Enfield Town agreed to, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on on an apartment, but it’s not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have selected a local conveyancing solicitor in Enfield Town. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with Bank of Ireland going?
It is understandable to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Enfield Town conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must ensure that your property lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Regarding the subsequent steps this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. During a rising market some purchasers will apply for a home loan with Bank of Ireland and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their solicitor to proceed with searches.
I used Wolstenholmes several years past for my conveyancing in Enfield Town. Now, I need the documents but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Enfield Town of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Enfield Town. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
Following years of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Enfield Town. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Enfield Town conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Enfield Town residence is First Floor Flat 109 Lyndhurst Road in May 2010. Following a vesting order by Edmonton County Court on 29th October 2009 the Tribunal decided on a figure of £5,012 for a lease extension. This case related to 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 81.79 years.