We wanted to use a conveyancing solicitor in Keston for our house move. Our broker informed us that our bank Halifax won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?
A bank can insist on a panel conveyancer act for it. Borrowers are liable to meet the charges for this. Please make use of our search facility to choose a solicitor to carry conveyancing in Keston on the Halifax approved list of solicitors.
We are purchasing a detached bungalow in Keston. The intention is to convert the garage to an office at the house.Will the conveyancing process include investigations to see if these alterations are allowed?
Your conveyancer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Keston will on occasion identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit categories of alterations or need the consent of a 3rd party. Some works need local authority planning consent and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
Is it correct that all Keston CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the HSBC conveyancing panel?
A selection of lenders now make use of the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
When it comes to mortgage companies such as Aldermore, do Keston conveyancing practitioners incur a yearly amount to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any mortgage company fees to be on their panel, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
I'm buying a new build house in Keston with a mortgage from The Royal Bank of Scotland. The builders refused to budge the price so I negotiated 6k of additionals instead. The estate agent advised me not disclose to my lawyer about this deal as it could affect my loan with The Royal Bank of Scotland. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
I was advised by a couple of local property agents in Keston to select a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to promote your services rather than a competitor’s?
We don’t give any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
I work for a busy estate agency in Keston where we see a few leasehold sales derailed due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received conflicting advice from local Keston conveyancing solicitors. Please can you clarify whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension formalities for the buyer?
As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.
Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
I am the registered owner of a ground floor flat in Keston. Given that I can not reach agreement with the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount payable for the purchase of the freehold?
Where there is a absentee landlord 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 LVT to calculate the premium.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Keston property is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 50.57 years.
I recently become aware that one of the partners of the conveyancing practice handling the purchase conveyancing in Keston is related to the vendor. Is this acceptable?
On the basis that no conflict arises this should be fine. If you are obtaining mortgage finance then the mortgage company may have a say as many lenders have specific instructions concerning this. For example for Virgin as of 11/12/2024, the requirements read as follows :