Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from Pudsey. I would like to know the logic why all Pudsey solicitors aren't included on all bank panels?
Even though it may seem unfair for mortgage companies to limit who can represent them, from the public’s or lawyer’s viewpoint, the the contrary view is that lending institutions are increasingly anxious and feel it essential to defend themselves against mortgage fraud. As a consequence of this concern mortgage companies have consolidated their conveyancing panel to a size that they are happy to control.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am unseasoned as FTB of a ground floor flat in Pudsey. Do I collect the keys to the house on completion from my lawyer? If so, I will instruct a local conveyancing solicitor in Pudsey?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will electronically transfer the completion advance to the seller's lawyers, and once they have received this, you should be able to collect the keys from the selling Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen early afternoon.
I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Pudsey. My mortgage broker suggested a property lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £200. Not long after, the conveyancing practitioner called me to say that they were not on the HSBC 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 HSBC 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.
RBS have agreed my home loan in principle, my bid on a flat in Pudsey has been accepted, what happens next?
Your estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (be sure the property lawyers are on the bank’s approved list). Contact RBS or the financial adviser and finalise any appropriate documentation. RBS will instruct a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or vendor to book an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a week for the mortgage offer to be issued. RBS will send the offer to you and your conveyancers. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Pudsey.
Should our solicitor be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Pudsey.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers dealing with homes in Pudsey. Some people will purchase a house in Pudsey, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a property purchase to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous searches that may be undertaken by the buyer or by their lawyers which will figure out the risks in Pudsey. The standard completed inquiry forms given to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a usual question of the owner to find out if the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred and is not disclosed by the vendor, then a purchaser could bring a compensation claim stemming from an inaccurate reply. The purchaser’s lawyers will also commission an enviro search. This should reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional investigations will need to be initiated.
Me and my brother own a terraced Georgian property in Pudsey. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Barclays Direct. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are two entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should read 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 Pudsey and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with the conveyancing lawyer who carried out the work.
Am I right to be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a national conveyancing firm rather than a local Pudsey conveyancing firm?
As with lots of service providers, often suggestions from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are lots of parties with a vested interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and lenders may recommend lawyers to retain. Sometimes these lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but occasionally there may be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You have the right to choose your preferred conveyancer. However, bear in mind that some mortgage providers specify a panel list of conveyancers you must use for the lender related work in your conveyancing.
Am I best advised to instruct a Pudsey conveyancing solicitor in close proximity to the house I am purchasing? An old friend can perform the legal work but her office is 200kilometers drive away.
The benefit of a high street Pudsey conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to execute documents, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Pudsey know how is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and they were content that should outweigh using an unknown Pudsey conveyancing lawyer just because they are round the corner.