We're in Hendon, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Leeds Building Society , and our solicitor is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no conveyancer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
This question may be naive but I am new to the house moving as FTB of a ground floor flat in Hendon. Do I collect the keys to the house on the completion date from my conveyancer? If so, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in Hendon?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the completion advance to the vendor’s conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be able to collect the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen early afternoon.
We had appointed solicitors locally in Hendon on the Coventry BS solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a supplemental sum for handling the Coventry BS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Coventry BS?
Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner is entitled to charge a fee for this. The charge is not set by Coventry BS but by your Hendon property lawyer. Some firms on the Coventry BS panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.
I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Leeds Building Society are being pedantic. The Hendon solicitor who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Leeds Building Society are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Leeds Building Society have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Leeds Building Society have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Leeds Building Society may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
Me and my brother own a renovated Victorian property in Hendon. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Barclays . I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be 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 Hendon and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.
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 quick, chain free conveyancing. Hendon is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can give?
Flying freeholds in Hendon are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Hendon you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Hendon 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 property.
I am four weeks into a freehold purchase having been directed to a firm by the selling agent to perform conveyancing in Hendon. I am am extremely dissatisfied with the level of service. Can you help me find new conveyancers?
They would have to be very poor to suggest diss instructing them. Has the mortgage offer been sent? In the event that it has you need to make them aware of the replacement conveyancer and have the offer are issued to the new lawyers. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid supplemental charges and frustration. So that should be your first question of the new solicitors. The find a solicitor tool should help you find a bank approved lawyer for your conveyancing in Hendon
I have recently placed an offer on an apartment in Hendon and the estate agent that we are using recommended his lawyer. They quoted nine hundred pounds plus VAT and disbursements. Does this sound like a good deal?
Don't just go on one quote. You should obtain like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Hendon. Then choose one that you trust and just as important, is on the approved panel of the mortgage company that you have applied for a mortgage from.