Is the fact that my solicitor in Richmond is not identified on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of his work?
That is more than likely a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Richmond conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
We are nearing an exchange on a house in Richmond and my parents have sent the exchange deposit to my conveyancer. I am now advised that as the deposit has not arrived from me my property lawyer needs to disclose this to my mortgage company. I am advised that, in also acting for the lender he must inform them that the balance of the purchase price is not just from me. I informed the mortgage company about my parents' contribution when I applied for the mortgage, so is it really necessary for him to raise this?
Your conveyancer is legally required to check with the bank to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. The solicitor can only reveal this to your bank if you permit them to, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
My Conveyancer in Richmond is not on the HSBC Bank Approved Panel. Is it possible for me to use my family solicitor even though they are not on the HSBC Bank panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Carry on with your preferred Richmond lawyers but HSBC Bank will need to use a lawyer on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the total legal fees as well as cause delays.
- Get a new solicitor to act in the purchase, not forgetting to check they are HSBC Bank approved.
- Try to convince your HSBC Bank based solicitor to attempt to join the HSBC Bank panel
My wife and I are intent on selling our house in Richmond and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A high street Richmond lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers instructed an online conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Richmond. Having lived in Richmond for many years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to get confirmation that there is no issue.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. What do they say? You should check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)
As co-executor for the will of my aunt I am selling a residence in Neath but I am based in Richmond. My solicitor (approximately 300 kilometers from mehas requested that I sign a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Richmond to attest and place their company stamp on the document?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are Richmond based
What makes a Richmond lease defective?
There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Richmond. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can result in certain sections are missing. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:
-
A duty to insure the building Maintenance charge proportions which don’t add up to the correct percentage
You could have a problem when selling your property if you have a defective lease primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Accord Mortgages Ltd, Skipton Building Society, and Clydesdale all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is problematic they may refuse to grant the mortgage, forcing the buyer to withdraw.
Richmond Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying
-
How many years remain on the lease? Best to be warned if changing the roof or some other major work is coming up that will be shared by the leaseholders and may well dramatically impact the level of the maintenance charges or necessitate a specific payment. This question is important as a) areas may cause problems for the building as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if maintenance remain unpaid b) if the leaseholders have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to have all the details