My partner and I are planning to buy a house in Hook and have instructed a Hook conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Coventry Building Society have this evening contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Hook conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is conventional for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent 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 property lawyer should contact your lender 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 are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Hook lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Will lawyers request money on account for conveyancing in Hook?
If you are buying a property in Hook your solicitor will request that you place them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the Local Authority Search. When the down payment is payable against the sale price then this will be needed shortly in advance of contracts are exchanged. The closing balance that is needed should be transferred shortly before completion.
My property lawyer in Hook is not on the Alliance & Leicester Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to use my prefered solicitor even though they are excluded from the Alliance & Leicester panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Complete the purchase with your existing Hook lawyers but Alliance & Leicester will need to retain a conveyancer on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the total legal charges and cause frustration.
- Choose an alternative lawyer to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are Alliance & Leicester approved.
- Persuade your Alliance & Leicester solicitor to seek to join the Alliance & Leicester panel
Should commercial conveyancing searches disclose proposed roadworks that may impact a commercial site in Hook?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Hook will carry out a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Hook. The report provides definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Hook.
For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Hook it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Hook commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not conducted for residential conveyancing in Hook.
We are 14 days into a leasehold purchase having been recommend to a firm by the high street agent to handle our conveyancing in Hook. I am am starting to be disappointed with the level of service. Could you help me find new conveyancers?
They would need to be very bad in order to consider replacing them. Has your mortgage been generated? In the event that it has you must make them aware of the new contact details and ensure the offer are re-issued. Your new solicitor ideally should be on the lenders panel to avoid added expenses and frustration. That should be your first question of the new solicitors. Our find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Hook
Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years unexpired on my lease in Hook. I am keen to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What should I do?
On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the freeholder. In some cases an enquiry agent should be helpful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be used as proof that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Hook.
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without getting anywhere. Can I make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Hook conveyancing firm to represent me?
in cases where there is a missing freeholder or if there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the premium.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Hook property is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case was in relation to 1 flat.