We are purchasing a 3 bedroom flat in Greenford with a mortgage. We have a Greenford conveyancer, but the lender says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel solicitors or retain our Greenford lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose 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 Greenford conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
Should conveyancers request an advanced payment for my conveyancing in Greenford?
Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Greenford your solicitor will ask you to provide them with monies to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. Generally this is needed to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. When the down payment is payable against the sale price then this will be asked for shortly ahead of exchange of contracts. The final balance that is needed will be payable a couple of days prior to the completion date.
My grandmother passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Greenford. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Aldermore, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
Given you plan to refinance then Aldermore will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Aldermore 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 Aldermore 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 Aldermore mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Greenford?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Greenford. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
We have reached the end of our tether in negotiating a lease extension in Greenford. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Greenford conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a lease Extension decision for a Greenford property is 25 Beechwood Avenue in November 2012. the Tribunal accordingly determined that the premium for the lease extension should be £24,353. This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired term was 58.19 years.
In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Greenford what are the most common lease problems?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Greenford. All leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain clauses are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:
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Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the premises
You may encounter difficulties when selling your property if you have a defective lease as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. National Westminster Bank, Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, and Barclays Direct all have very detailed conveyancing instructions when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to grant the mortgage, obliging the buyer to withdraw.
Are there any distinct advantages to choosing a high street conveyancing practitioner in Greenford
A significant proportion of house movers in Greenford prefer a nearby high street conveyancer so that they can pop into the lawyer’s offices just in case they have problems, and to deliver mortgage deeds rather than depending on the post.
There is a distinct advantage when selecting a solicitor nearby to the premises you are buying, due to the in-depth knowledge of the locality and possible local issues - nevertheless this is moot. The majority of conveyancers carry out their work over the internet and could be any place in the world.