The conveyancer who dealt with my former purchase has given a fee calculation of £995 for no sale no fee conveyancing in Plumstead. I am selling a purpose built detached home for £250,000. Is this too much? Is it above the norm for conveyancing in Plumstead?
The charges are a tad high. If you shop around you could trim some of the cost by say £100 plus VAT. That being said, you couldlive to regret opting for an a cheaper conveyancer. Remember to ensure that the firm can represent your lender. You can make use of our search tool to select a Plumstead conveyancing practice on the banks approved list of lawyers which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Plumstead.
My son is buying a newly built flat in Plumstead with a mortgage from Skipton. His solicitor has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. What is this document - I have never come across this before?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Skipton conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer 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 Skipton conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
My aunt passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Plumstead. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Virgin Money, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
Given you plan to re-mortgage then Virgin Money will require that you use a conveyancer on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Virgin Money conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Virgin Money mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
My relative suggested that where I am purchasing in Plumstead I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Plumstead conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Plumstead around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Plumstead Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Plumstead.
I am looking for a conveyancing solicitor in Plumstead for my remortgage. Can I review a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
You can review published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations started on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could monitor telephone calls for training purposes.
My fiance and I have just had an offer accepted on a flat and had an appointment on Wednesday with HSBC for the mortgage. They advised us that when it comes to choosing a conveyancing practitioner that if they are not on their approved list of solicitors then we will be subject to an an extra fee of £250+. This is because they would then have to select a property lawyer to act for them in addition to the one we appoint on our behalf and we are liable for their costs. I have asked HSBC to supply me with a list so I can request estimates only from their approved lawyers but was told they dont have such a list to hand over. Is there a list online?
You can enquire of HSBC what their panel criteria is for a conveyancer.Then ask the property lawyer of your choice whether they meet the criteria and have they acted on loans for HSBC historically. Where the answer to those is yes, then just clarify this with HSBC. Alternatively please use our search facility and we should be able to find you a conveyancing practitioner in Plumstead on the approved list for HSBC.