My financial adviser has asked me for my St Giles law firm’s panel member for the Nat West conveyancing panel. How do I discover this. I have tried my local St Giles branch but they cant find it on their system.
The sensible thing to do is ask for this information from your St Giles lawyer . Most St Giles conveyancing firms will keep a file or database of lender panel information which would include, if applicable, their conveyancing panel details for each lender.
I own a freehold residence in St Giles but still invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in St Giles and has limited impact for conveyancing in St Giles but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back many centuries, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of new rentcharges post 1977.
Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be extinguished.
I have 70 years remaining on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in St Giles. Conveyancing solicitors on the Platform panel can deal with such extensions correct?
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are obtaining a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Platform have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 13/2/2025 the requirements read as follows :
I moved into my home on 11 November and my personal details is yet to be registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in St Giles said it would be recorded in a couple of weeks. Are properties in St Giles particularly slow to register?
As far as conveyancing in St Giles is concerned, registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. Rather than based on location, timeframes can adjust subject to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any 3rd parties. As of today in the region of 80% of submission are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be protracted delays. Historically registration takes place after the new owner has moved in to the property thus 'speed' is not usually primary concern yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers can contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and identified one round the corner in St Giles I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, the downside is that it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in St Giles for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be an issue. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you may request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.
Do I need to be suspicious about brokers that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a factory type conveyancing firm as opposed to a local St Giles conveyancing practice?
As with many service providers, often recommendations from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. But there are lots of players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies may suggest solicitors to select. On occasion these solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to choose your own conveyancer. Don't forget that the majority of mortgage providers specify a panel list of solicitors you are obliged to use for the mortgage aspect of your conveyancing.