Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Fleet is not on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
That would more than likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Fleet conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
My brother and I have recently acquired a property in Fleet. We have noticed several issues with the property which we believe were omitted in the conveyancing searches. What action can we take? What searches should? have been conducted as part of conveyancing in Fleet?
It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Fleet. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken as part of the buying process are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a seller fills in a document referred to as a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information is incorrect, you could possibly take legal action against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Fleet.
Finally the sale completed on my house in Fleet last July but my buyer keeps e-mailing me to moan that his conveyancer needs to hear from mysolicitor. What are the post completion sale legalities now that I have sold?
Following your house sale your conveyancer is duty bound to forward the transfer deeds and all of the paperwork to the buyer’s solicitors. If applicable, your solicitor should also evidence that the home loan has been discharged to the purchasers solicitors. There are no post completion requirements unique to conveyancing in Fleet.
What will a local search tell me about the property I am purchasing in Fleet?
Fleet conveyancing often commences with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for instance Onsearch The local search plays a central role in many a Fleet conveyancing purchase; as long as you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search will reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic sections.
I am buying my first flat in Fleet benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of fixtures and fittings instead. The property agent advised me not to tell my solicitor about this side-deal as it may adversely affect my loan with Nottingham Building Society. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Fleet ahead of appointing conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to issue a loan on this type of house.
It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you e-mail us we can look into this further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Fleet. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Fleet especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Fleet.