I am one month into the sale of my flat in Herne Bay and the estate agent has just telephoned to warn that the buyers are changing their law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only work with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Herne Bay ?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.
Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
Would the conveyancing lawyers that are recommend carry out auction conveyancing in Herne Bay?
There are a number of niche practitioners we can put you in touch with those who can conduct auction conveyancing. Herne Bay is just one of our areas of where our lawyers have a presence.
Will our conveyancer be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Herne Bay.
Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers carrying out conveyancing in Herne Bay. There are those who purchase a property in Herne Bay, fully aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or sell the property. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that can be initiated by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should figure out the risks in Herne Bay. The conventional set of information sent to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a usual question of the seller to find out whether the property has historically flooded. If flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the seller, then a buyer may issue a compensation claim stemming from an incorrect response. The purchaser’s lawyers may also carry out an environmental search. This will indicate if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations will need to be made.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Herne Bay is where the house is located. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Herne Bay are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Herne Bay you would need to get your solicitor to go 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 Herne Bay 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.
What tools are available to search for a Herne Bay solicitor on the The Royal Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am prepared to travel upto 10kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the tool on this page. Please pick a bank and your location and you will see a number of Herne Bay conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have detailed some Herne Bay conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can contact them to check if they are on the The Royal Bank of Scotland panel
I’m about to sell my 2 bed flat in Herne Bay.Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed however I have recently received a half-yearly maintenance charge invoice – what should I do?
The sensible thing to do is pay the maintenance contribution as you normally would because all rents and maintenance charges should be apportionedas part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process