I am acquiring a ground floor flat in Lingfield. My lawyer has never been on on the lender solicitor panel. Is it possible for me to retain my Lingfield conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the lender panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
You have a couple of options open to you here
- Proceed with your existing Lingfield lawyer but your lender will need to appoint a solicitor on their approved list. The net result is additional cost together with likely frustration.
- Get a fresh conveyancer to act in the purchase, ensuring that they are on the lender conveyancing panel.
- Convince your conveyancer to seek to join the bank panel
We are purchasing a newly constructed apartment in Lingfield and my conveyancer is advising me that she has to the bank to reveal incentives from the seller. I am on a tight deadline to exchange contracts and my preference is not to delay deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a bank panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the mortgage came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to use their panel conveyancer as I would prefer to instruct a high street conveyancing solicitor in Lingfield?
You should check but the the likelihood is that allocate you one of their panel conveyancers if you accept the "fee-free" deal. Call the bank to see if they make available a monetary alternative. In the past a few lenders offered a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case you could put that amount towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor near Lingfield.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Lingfield. Now, I need my documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Lingfield of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £305k and identified one close by in Lingfield I like with open areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Lingfield in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake purchasing a short lease?
Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for at least twenty four months you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
I have been recommended by a few property agents in Lingfield to select a conveyancer on your site. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to market your services over another?
We don’t give any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult a fee as members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.