I am expecting a offer of a home loan from Nat West. My intention is to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Pitstone. Does the Nat West Solicitor panel include conveyancers regulated by the CLC?
The Nat West approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, associated to the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
I am helping my niece sell her house in Pitstone. Does the solicitor order the energy performance certificate or should I organise this?
After the abolition of Home Information Packs, energy assessments remained a compulsory part of selling a house. An energy assessment should be to hand in advance of the property being marketed. It is not something that conveyancers normally arrange. If you are using a Pitstone conveyancing practitioner they might help arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with reputable local providers
My wife and I purchasing a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Pitstone. Our aim is to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will the conveyancing process involve checks to ascertain if these works are permitted?
Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Pitstone can occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which restrict certain works or require the permission of a 3rd party. Some additions need local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
My husband and I have organised the release of further funds on our mortgage from Barclays as we want to carry out alterations to our house in Pitstone. Do we need to select a bricks and mortar Pitstone solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel to handle the paperwork?
Barclays don't usually require a member of their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Barclays panel.
I have been told that property searches are the number one cause of obstruction in Pitstone house deals. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the most frequent causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to feature in any slowing down conveyancing in Pitstone.
Me and my brother own a terraced Edwardian property in Pitstone. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Skipton Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You should review 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Pitstone and other locations in 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 mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Pitstone is where the house is located. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Pitstone are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Pitstone you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Pitstone may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
Why can't I complete my conveyancing in Pitstone on Easter Monday?
This is due to the fact that on completion the sale price needs to be transferred electronically between the banks of the purchaser and seller's conveyancer and at present this can only take place on a business day. It is not possible to complete on a weekend either.