Are the BSA intent on creating a searchable register to list firms on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in Hockley?
We have not been informed any intention on the part of the BSA to promote such a register.
is it true that all Hockley solicitor firms on the RBS conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the RBS conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. The majority of lenders do list licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the organisation would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We were going to get a OIP from Kent Reliance this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Kent Reliance recommend any Hockley solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Hockley solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Kent Reliance through the process.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Aldermore. I assume I don't need a Hockley solicitor on the Aldermore panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Aldermore mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Aldermore mortgage from the register. Aldermore, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Aldermore has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Aldermore has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Hockley in advance of appointing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. The surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to give a loan on such a premises.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different requirements from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Hockley. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial premises in Hockley and how can your lawyers assist?
The particular law that you refer to provides a safeguard to commercial leaseholders, giving them the dueness to apply to court for a renewal lease and continue in occupation when the lease reaches an end. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are involved. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act for protection and handle your commercial conveyancing in Hockley
Planning to complete next month on a leasehold property in Hockley. Conveyancing solicitors assured me that they will have a report out to me next week. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?
The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Hockley should include some of the following:
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Changes to the premises You should know if the lease permits you to change or upgrade aspects of the premises- you should know whether it applies to all alterations or just structural alteration, and whether consent is required Who has the liability to repair and maintain the building. It is essential for you to know which party is responsible the repair and maintenance of all parts of the block and estate Rent payments - what is payable and when is collected, and also know whether this will change in the future You would want to receive a copy of the lease
Hockley Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing
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Are any of leasehold owners in dispute over their service charge liability? It would be sensible to find out as much as possible about the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily issues like the upkeep of the communal areas. Ask other people whether they are happy with them. Finally, investigate as to the dates that the service fees are due to the relevant party and precisely what it includes. Who are the managing agents?
My partner and I are buying a 2 bedroom flat in Hockley. At the point of instructing our property lawyer, they told us that they were on all mainstream bank panels. The financial adviser called yesterday to say that they don't seem to be on the Principality approved list. Should that be true, what should we do? Do we simply pick a different lawyer that is on their panel or do we cover the costs for separate representation, with Principality selecting their own approved property lawyer.
Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is standard for the buyer’s lawyers to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a conveyancing practitioner has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the conveyancing practitioner to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the solicitor has to satisfy. Some mortgage companies now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your conveyancing practitioner should contact Principality to find out if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on Principality's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Hockley solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the equation.