I am one month into the sale of my flat in Shepperton and the EA has just telephoned to advise that the buyers are switching property lawyer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a major mortgage company only work with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Shepperton ?
Banks have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.
Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are not going to have any impact on this.
Can I use your services to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in Shepperton even if I’m not purchasing or disposing of a house, for example if I wish to acquire an office in Shepperton with a loan from Aldermore?
Our comparison service is primarily utilised to find domestic conveyancing solicitors in Shepperton but we have set out at the bottom of this page some Shepperton commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to speak with the firm directly to check if they can also act for Aldermore
Can you help - my lawyer says that lack of right of way insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Shepperton?
The right level of lack of right of way indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between HSBC Bank and Coventry Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Shepperton conveyancing practitioner on the RBS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your RBS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
Intending to buy a flat in Shepperton. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Principality conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Shepperton solicitor is on the Principality conveyancing panel.
I have justbeen informed that Action Conveyancing have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Shepperton for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest method to check if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Shepperton conveyancing specialists.
Should I go with a Shepperton conveyancing practitioner based in the vicinity that I am hoping to buy? An old friend can conduct the legal formalities but his firm is located 300kilometers away.
The primary upside of using a local Shepperton conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. Having local Shepperton know how is a bonus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and they were happy that should trump using an unknown Shepperton conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.
I am a negotiator for a busy estate agency in Shepperton where we have experienced a number of flat sales derailed due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given inconsistent advice from local Shepperton conveyancing solicitors. Please can you clarify whether the seller of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the buyer?
Provided that the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer need not have to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.
Alternatively, it may be possible to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.
I have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such matters? Can you recommend a Shepperton conveyancing firm to represent me?
You certainly can. We can put you in touch with a Shepperton conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Shepperton residence is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 82.93 years.