We are purchasing a 3 bedroom apartment in Harlow with a mortgage. We like our Harlow solicitor, but the mortgage company advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel solicitors or retain our Harlow lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. We regard this is unjust; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’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 Harlow conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
Completed the sale of my flat in Harlow last May yet the purchaser is e-mailing every few hours to say her conveyancer is waiting to hear from mysolicitor. What are the post completion sale legalities following completion?
Following your disposal your conveyancer is duty bound to deliver the transfer documentation and all supplemental paperwork to the purchaser's lawyers. Depending on the transaction, your conveyancer must also send confirmation that the mortgage has been repaid to the buyers lawyers. There are no post completion formalities specific conveyancing in Harlow.
Are the BSA planning on creating a online directory to list practices on the Melton Mowbray Building Society conveyancing panel for example in Harlow?
We have not been informed any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a search facility.
I used Action Conveyancing several years ago for my conveyancing in Harlow. I now require my file however the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Harlow 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 am purchasing my first flat in Harlow benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not budge the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The property agent advised me not disclose to my lawyer about this deal as it may impact my mortgage with the bank. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the UK Finance website. UK Finance 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.
Should I stop my mortgage payments with UBS as soon as a completion date for my home sale in Harlow has been set?
No, you must continue meeting any mortgage sums to UBS pending the mortgage being redeemed out of the proceeds of sale as part of your Harlow conveyancing.