My husband and I are buying a newbuild apartment in Epworth with a loan from Leeds Building Society.We like our Epworth conveyancing solicitor but Leeds Building Society informed us he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint a Leeds Building Society panel firm or retain our high street solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The home loan issued to you is subject to its various provisions, a common one being that lawyers must be on the Leeds Building Society approved list. in the past, most mortgage companies 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. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Leeds Building Society
Is it the case that all Epworth solicitors on the TSB conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the TSB conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. Many lenders do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the practice would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
I have paid off my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Epworth property lawyer on the RBS panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your RBS 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 RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, 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 RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Epworth off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Kent Reliance. Conveyancing is new to me. 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 Kent Reliance, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel.
Will my lawyer be asking questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in Epworth.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers conducting conveyancing in Epworth. Plenty of people will purchase a house in Epworth, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Solicitors are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that may be initiated by the buyer or by their lawyers which will figure out the risks in Epworth. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard question of the seller to discover whether the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the vendor, then a purchaser may bring a compensation claim resulting from an inaccurate answer. A purchaser’s lawyers may also conduct an environmental search. This will higlight whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional investigations will need to be carried out.
What makes your site different to other web based conveyancing brokers when it comes to conveyancing in Epworth?
At this site obtain a conveyancing quote from a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that has a full understanding of the issues of your conveyancing in Epworth. Unlike many estate agents and brokerage sites we do not have referral deals with solicitors. Some agents and online brokers 'recommend' solicitors who pay the highest commission, as opposed to the best value conveyancing in Epworth
I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Epworth. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner 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).
I own a leasehold flat in Epworth, conveyancing formalities finalised September 2005. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Epworth with an extended lease are worth £207,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £60 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2082
With just 57 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £28,500 and £33,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure without more comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
Builders have put forward a conveyancer and I've sought a quote from them. It's nearly £400 less expensive than my local Epworth conveyancer. What's the catch?
Housebuilders frequently have lists of lawyers who expedite matters and who know the builder's documentation and conveyancing practitioner. Plenty of developers offer an inducement to choose a preferred solicitor for this reason, any increased charges can be avoided and a developer won't put forward a conveyancing warehouse and run the risk of having the conveyancing stall when they demand an exchange inside a month. The argument for not opting for the recommended conveyancing practitioner is that they may be unwilling to 'push' your interests for fear of upsetting the sellers. If you worry that this may be the situation you should stick with your local Epworth lawyer.