Our son is buying a house that has just been built in Maesteg with a mortgage from Barclays. His lawyer has said that there is 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 involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Barclays conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when asked. 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 Barclays conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Maesteg? Why is this being asked of me?
You are right in the requirement set out by your solicitor has nothing to do with conveyancing in Maesteg. Nowadays you can not proceed with any conveyancing deal without first handing over proof of your identity. This usually takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence as well as a council tax bill. Please note that if you are supplying your driving licence as proof of identification it needs to be both the paper section as well as the photo card part, one is not sufficient in the absence of the other.
Proof of the origin of money is required under Money Laundering Regulations. Please do not be offended when you are asked to produce this as your conveyancing solicitor must have this information on record. Your Maesteg conveyancing practitioner will require evidence of proof of funds prior to accepting any money from you into their client account and they should also ask additional queries concerning the source of funds.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Maesteg. I have a mortgage agreed with UBS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.
The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Maesteg. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are sorted out effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Maesteg bank branch on various occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Maesteg conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they would not lend in accordance with their published requirements. Who do I believe?
Your conveyancer must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two specifications for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
My wife and I own a renovated Georgian house in Maesteg. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Barclays Direct. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the matching property. Is it worth asking Barclays Direct to clarify?
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Maesteg and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing solicitor who conducted the work.
What tools are available to identify a Maesteg solicitor on the HSBC Bank conveyancing panel? I have a car and am happy to travel upto 20kilometers to meet the solicitor.
You can use the tool on this page. Please pick a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Maesteg conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Maesteg conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to check if they are on the HSBC Bank panel
I need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor for residential conveyancing in Maesteg. I happened to stumble across a web site which seems to have the ideal solution If it is possible to get all this stuff done via phone that would be ideal. Should I be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?