I have just been advised by my estate agent that my Loddon lawyer is not on the bank Solicitor panel. What can I do to be sure whether this is correct?
Your first step should be to contact your Loddon lawyer directly. You lawyer should notify you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your mortgage company.
How up to date is your database of Loddon solicitors on the Nottingham conveyancing panel? Do Nottingham send you an updated list?
Loddon conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Nottingham directly.
We are planning on selling our property in Loddon and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a national conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Loddon. Having lived in Loddon for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to seek clarification that there is no issue.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)
Me and my brother have a terraced Victorian house in Loddon. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Accord Mortgages Ltd. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Loddon and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing lawyer who carried out the work.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to choosing a Loddon conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
If you are instructing a conveyancer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Loddon conveyancing practice) it is imperative that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Loddon conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions could be useful:
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If they are not ALEP accredited then why not?
Loddon Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Queries Prior to buying
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The best form of lease structure is a share of the freehold. In this scenario the lessees have being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is often retained if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. Where a Loddon lease has fewer than 80 years it will have adverse implications on the salability of the property. It is worth checking with your mortgage company that they are willing to lend given the lease term. A short lease means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension at some point and you need to have some idea of what this would cost. Remember, in most cases you will be required to have owned the property for two years before you are legally able to carry out a lease extension. Best to be warned whether a new roof is being put on or some other significant cost is anticipated that will be shared between the leasehold owners and will materially increase the the maintenance costs or result in a specific payment.
My wife and I have appointed a Loddon conveyancing solicitor for our home move (first time buyers) and have noticed in the terms and conditions that they are not overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority. Should I be worried or is that usually the case with property lawyer?
We can't see why they should be. Most lawyer don't lend money. You should check that they are governed by the SRA, who set strict stipulations in place on monies deposited by them.