I am one month into the sale of my apartment in Gamlingay and the estate agent has just called to warn that the buyers are swapping property lawyer. The excuse is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading lender only work with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Gamlingay ?
UK lenders have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 15 years.
Lenders point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. 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. Your buyers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
My grandmother passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Gamlingay. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £5k. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Skipton, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
If you intend to refinance then Skipton will require that you use a conveyancer on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Skipton conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Skipton mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
Just acquired a semi-detached house in Gamlingay , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to record my ownership? My Gamlingay conveyancing solicitor has been painfully slow, so I want to be certain the land registry aspects are concluded.
As far as conveyancing in Gamlingay is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timescales can differ according to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry must send notices to any interested persons or bodies. Currently roughly 80% of submission are completed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to longer delays. Registration is effected once the purchaser has moved in to the property so registration formalities is not always an essential issue yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your solicitor must communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Gamlingay is the location of the property. Can you offer any guidance?
Flying freeholds in Gamlingay are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Gamlingay you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Gamlingay may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
In my capacity as executor for the estate of my father I am selling a house in Neath but reside in Gamlingay. My lawyer (based 250 kilometers from meneeds me to sign a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Gamlingay to attest this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are located in Gamlingay
What are my options where I am dissatisfied with the conveyancing practitioner who handled our conveyancing in Gamlingay?
We live in an imperfect world, and unfortunately every so often things do go wrong. That being said there is recourse where you were dissatisfied with your conveyancing in Gamlingay. This varies from trying to resolve matters directly with them, through to reporting a conveyancing practitioner to their governing body. If you remain dissatisfied you may consider enlisting the help of the Legal Ombudsman.