It is is a decade since I acquired my home in Malton. Conveyancing solicitors have now been appointed on the sale but I can't track down my title deeds. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be kept by your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly in most cases the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Malton relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Malton. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Barclays have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Barclays your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Barclays. The CML Handbook includes minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Barclays where a lease does not comply with these requirements. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Malton.
I'm spending time looking at flats in Malton and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I will be getting a home loan with HSBC.
It would be advisable to start your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the EA. As you are obtaining a mortgage with HSBC, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Malton. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?
Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
A friend advised me that where I am buying in Malton I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Malton conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Malton around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Malton Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Malton.
How does conveyancing in Malton differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Malton contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because new home sellers in Malton usually purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Malton or who has acted in the same development.
I have been pointed in your direction by numerous estate agents in Malton to find a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to recommend your site ahead of another?
We don’t offer any commission for sending work our way. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
I have been sourcing a conveyancing practitioner in Malton for my home move. Is there any facility to check a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?
You may see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.