Me and my husband are purchasing a maisonette in Somerset. My lawyer is not on the lender conveyancing list. Am I still permitted to use my Somerset conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the mortgage company list of approved lawyers?
Your options include
- Proceed with your chosen Somerset lawyer but your bank will need to use a lawyer on their approved panel. This will result in additional cost together with probable frustration.
- Choose a fresh lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
- Appeal to your conveyancer to apply to join the bank panel
There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Somerset but how do I know who I should use?
We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Somerset conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Somerset. I have a mortgage agreed with Skipton. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Skipton, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Skipton conveyancing panel.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my Somerset bank branch on various occasions and was reassured it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Somerset conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. I simply don't know who is right.
Provided that the conveyancer is on the lender approved list, she or he must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook conditions for the lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
I have justfound out that Wolstenholmes have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Somerset for a purchase of a freehold house 12 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest way to see if the premises is registered to you, you can carry out 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 Somerset conveyancing specialists.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in Somerset. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Somerset
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There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision.
We are a couple of weeks into a residential purchase having been recommend to conveyancers by the selling agent to carry out the conveyancing in Somerset. I am am starting to be disappointed with the level of service. Could you help me find new lawyers?
A solicitor would have to be really bad in order to consider changing them. Has your mortgage offer been sent? If so you need to advise them of the new lawyer and ensure the offer are re-sent. Your new conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company panel to avoid supplemental fees and complications. That should be your starting point. Our search tool should help you find a bank approved solicitor for your conveyancing in Somerset
I would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Somerset. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?
Notwithstanding that your last Somerset conveyancing lawyer is not available you can check your lease to check if it allows you to sublet the premises. The accepted inference is that if the lease is silent, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you must obtain consent via your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. This means that you cannot sublet without prior consent. The consent must not not be unreasonably withheld. If the lease does not allow you to sublet you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.
I acquired a 2 bed flat in Somerset, conveyancing was carried out June 2004. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Comparable properties in Somerset with a long lease are worth £195,000. The ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2089
With only 64 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £14,300 and £16,400 plus legals.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.