What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Plymouth? Is this really necessary?
It is indeed that case that these requests have nothing to do with conveyancing in Plymouth. However these days you can not complete any conveyancing deal without first providing proof of your identity. Ordinarily this takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence plus a council tax bill. Remember if you are providing your driving licence as proof of identification it needs to be both the paper part and photo card part, one is not acceptable without the other.
Evidence of the source of monies is required under Money Laundering Regulations. Don’t be offended when you are asked to produce this as your conveyancing solicitor will need to have this information on record. Your Plymouth conveyancing solicitor will need to see evidence of proof of funds before they are able to accept any money from you into their client account and they should also ask further queries regarding the source of funds.
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Plymouth what would it be?
It would be unwise to be seduced by the cheapest Plymouth conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.
I am purchasing a property in Plymouth. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender UBS be concerned?
As your lender is UBS your lawyer must check the formal requirements contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for UBS. The CML Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to UBS where a lease does not comply with these provisions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Plymouth.
After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Plymouth. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £200. A few days later, the lawyer contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the UBS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the UBS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
What does a local search inform me regarding the property my wife and I purchasing in Plymouth?
Plymouth conveyancing often commences with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations such as Searchflow The local search is essential in every Plymouth conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant once you have moved into your new home. The search will supply information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 subject sections.
Me and my brother own a semi-detached Georgian house in Plymouth. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and Barclays Direct. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should assess 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Plymouth and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also question the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the work.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Plymouth is where the house is located. Can you offer any guidance?
Flying freeholds in Plymouth are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Plymouth you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Plymouth may ascertain 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 premises.
Are there any apps to help identify a Plymouth solicitor on the Barclays Direct conveyancing panel? I have a car and am happy to travel upto 25miles to meet the lawyer.
You can use the search on this website. Please choose the bank and your location and you will see a number of Plymouth conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Plymouth conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can call them to check if they are on the Barclays Direct member panel