My husband and I are hoping to buy a property in North Shields and are in fact using a North Shields conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Birmingham Midshires have this morning contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our North Shields conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred North Shields lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Why do I have to pay up front when it comes to conveyancing in North Shields?
If you are buying a property in North Shields your lawyer will ask you put them with monies to cover the search fees. Normally this is requested to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. When the deposit is as part of the sale price then this should be required immediately ahead of exchange of contracts. Any further balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer shortly before completion.
I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when purchasing a house in North Shields? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that could mean that house owners living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to pay for repairs to the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this a legitimate concern for conveyancing in North Shields?
Unless a prior purchase of the house completed post 12 October 2013 you may take it that solicitors conducting conveyancing in North Shields to continue to propose a a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.
I used Wolstenholmes several years past for my conveyancing in North Shields. I now require my file however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should 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 North Shields of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my commercial premises in North Shields and how can your lawyers assist?
The particular law that you refer to provides protection to commercial leaseholders, giving them the a statutory right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refuse a lease renewal and the rules are involved. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing firms who use the act to your advantage and assist with commercial conveyancing in North Shields
I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to be perfect, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have since been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues purchasing a leasehold house in North Shields. Conveyancing advisers have not yet been instructed. Will my lawyers set out the implications of buying a leasehold house in North Shields ?
Most houses in North Shields are freehold rather than leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. It is clear that you are purchasing in North Shields so you should seriously consider looking for a North Shields conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. Being a lessee you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example obtaining the landlord’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is part of an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.