We are buying a 2 bedroom flat in Leicestershire with a mortgage. We have a Leicestershire solicitor, but the mortgage company says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel solicitors or keep our Leicestershire lawyer and pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. We regard this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Leicestershire conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
I am soon to exchange buying a house in Leicestershire but as a consequence of wreckage from the recent storms I have was able negotiate compensation from the current proprietors of £3k in the form of a deduction in the price. I had intended this to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process but UBS are not allowing this. Should they have been notified?
Your conveyancing practitioner that is on a UBS approved list is obliged to inform UBS of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your solicitor to disclose the price change to UBS then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, UBS and you would have to appoint a new property lawyer for your conveyancing in Leicestershire.
I am purchasing my first flat in Leicestershire with a loan from Bank of Scotland. The builders would not budge the price so I negotiated 6k of extras instead. The estate agent suggested that I not disclose to my solicitor about the extras as it will jeopardize my mortgage with Bank of Scotland. Should I keep quiet?.
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 UK Finance website. UK Finance 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 opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Leicestershire ahead of retaining conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. Our surveyor advised that some mortgage companies may refuse to issue a mortgage on such a property.
It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. Should you wish to telephone us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Leicestershire. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Leicestershire to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in Leicestershire for my home move. Can I check a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
Members of the public may read documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded call for training reasons.
I am due to consider quotes for conveyancing in Leicestershire from various conveyancing practitioner and appoint one. Am I right to ask them to hold tight until I a suitable flat to buy.
We suggest that you only ask your conveyancer to open a file and apply for searches after the offer has been accepted on the property particularly as Leicestershire conveyancing searches are costly.