Is the fact that my conveyancer in Mayfield is not on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of his conveyancing?
That is more than likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Mayfield conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
I own a freehold house in Mayfield yet invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Mayfield and has limited impact for conveyancing in Mayfield but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of new rentcharges post 1977.
Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence in 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
I know that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I require chancel insurance when purchasing a property in Mayfield? or I am told that there is historic law that means some house owners residing in a parish church boundary may be liable to pay for repairs towards the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this a legitimate concern for conveyancing in Mayfield?
Unless a prior acquisition of the house took place post 12 October 2013 you may expect conveyancing practitioners handling conveyancing in Mayfield to continue to propose a a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.
The deeds to my home are lost. The solicitors who dealt with the conveyancing in Mayfield 4 years ago no longer exist. What are my next steps?
Gone are the days when you need to hold title deeds to evidence that you are the registered proprietor of land or property, given that the Land Registry hold details of all registered land or property electronically.
I am purchasing my first flat in Mayfield benefiting from help to buy. The sellers refused to budge the amount so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not to tell my lawyer about the side-deal as it may jeopardize my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.
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 CML website. CML 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.
Builders have suggested I use a conveyancing practitioner and I've obtained an estimate from them. They are almost two hundred pounds cheaper than my local Mayfield conveyancing practitioner. What's the catch?
Builders often have panels of solicitors who are quick and who know the builder's paperwork and solicitor. As many developers offer an inducement to use their approved lawyer for this reason, any increased charges can be avoided and a developer won't put forward a conveyancing factory and run the risk of having the transaction stall when they require an exchange within a tight deadline. A counter-argument for not agreeing to use the suggested conveyancing practitioner is that they may be unwilling to fight for your interests at the risk of alienating the housebuilder. If you worry that this may be the case you should remain with your high street Mayfield property lawyer.