We had appointed conveyancers with offices in Kew on the Santander solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me a further fee for handling the Santander mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Santander?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner can levy a fee for this. The fee is not set by Santander but by your Kew conveyancer. Plenty of firms on the Santander panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.
I am expecting a DIP from Yorkshire BS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Yorkshire BS recommend any Kew solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Kew solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Yorkshire BS through the process.
Completion of my purchase has taken place for my property in Kew. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Kew?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Kew. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I opted to have a survey completed on a house in Kew ahead of appointing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor has said that some banks will not give a mortgage on this type of property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can check with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Kew. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Kew to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
I was advised by numerous estate agents in Kew to choose a solicitor on your site. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to recommend your services over alternative conveyancing organisations?
We refuse to make any commission for directing people 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 receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
My husband and I are new to the buying process - had an offer accepted, but the property agent has warned us that the owners will only go ahead if we instruct the agent's chosen lawyers as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a high street solicitor with experience of conveyancing in Kew
It is unlikely the owners are behind this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a motivated purchaser is likely to cause more damage than good. Try to communicate with the owners directly and make the point that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you are going to use your own,trusted Kew conveyancing lawyers - as opposed tothe ones that will earn their negotiator at the agency a commission or achieve conveyancing figures pre-set by senior management.
Should I cancel my mortgage payments with RBS as soon as a completion date for my sale in Kew has been agreed?
You would be well advised to keep meeting any mortgage sums to RBS pending the mortgage being repaid on completion as part of your Kew conveyancing.