I plan on buying residence in Leeds. My Conveyancer is not listed on the mortgage company approved list. Can I still appoint my Leeds conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the lender list of approved lawyers?
You must use a solicitor to deal with the legal work required when you require a mortgage to buy your property. The lawyer will carry out all the appropriate due diligence on the property, ensuring that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the required mortgage paperwork is in place. You may appoint a Leeds conveyancing practitioner of your choice. However, if the lawyer appointed is not a member of the lender approved list supplemental charges will arise as separate legal representation will be need by the mortgage company. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so if your conveyancer has not in the past applied for membership they should take the chance to apply.
Our nephew is buying a house that has just been built in Leeds with a mortgage from UBS. His conveyancer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties engaged in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the UBS conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the UBS conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
We see that you have a search directory listing firms on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a referral fee if I instruct them for our own conveyancing in Leeds?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Leeds.
We are purchasing a flat in Leeds. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? At some point we have to put money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our monies?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Lloyds. I assume I don't need a Leeds property lawyer on the Lloyds panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Lloyds 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 Lloyds mortgage from the register. Lloyds, 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 Lloyds has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Lloyds has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in May 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s mortgage company, Lloyds are being problematic. The Leeds solicitor who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel is saying indemnity insurance will be fine but Lloyds are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Lloyds have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Lloyds have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Lloyds may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Leeds is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can give?
Flying freeholds in Leeds are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Leeds you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Leeds may ascertain 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 premises.
I have been pointed in your direction by a number of selling agents in Leeds to choose a solicitor on your site. Is there a financial advantage for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers over and above another?
We don’t offer any referral fee for directing people to this site. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as members of the public would think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.