My husband and I are looking to purchase a home in Hatton Park and have appointed a Hatton Park conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. Santander have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Hatton Park solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Hatton Park lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.
I am the registered owner of a freehold residence in Hatton Park but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It is rare for properties in Hatton Park and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hatton Park but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be extinguished.
I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I require chancel insurance when buying a property in Hatton Park? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that could mean that homeowners living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to contribute towards maintenance towards the chancel within the church. Is this appropriate for conveyancing in Hatton Park?
Unless a previous acquisition of the house took place post 12 October 2013 you may expect solicitors conducting conveyancing in Hatton Park to continue to propose a a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I have a semi-detached Georgian house in Hatton Park. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Bank of Scotland. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. Is it worth asking Bank of Scotland to clarify?
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Hatton Park and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.
We're first time buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the property agent informed us that the owners will only move forward if we instruct the agent's recommended conveyancers as they want an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street conveyancer with experience of conveyancing in Hatton Park
It is highly unlikely the owners are driving this. Should the owner want ‘a quick sale', alienating a motivated purchaser is counter productive. Avoid the agents and go straight to the sellers and make sure they understand (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to instruct your own,trusted Hatton Park conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will provide the negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or meet his conveyancing targets set by corporate headquarters.
My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Hatton Park. I I would like to check if they are listed on the bank's approved list of lawyers. Could you or the lender confirm if they are on the panel?
It’s a good idea contact your lawyer to enquire if they are on the lender's panel. If that does not help call us and we can investigate and revert. If they are not on the conveyancing panel we we can help find a specialist conveyancing solicitor in Hatton Park on the panel for your lender.