My partner and I are hoping to acquire a property in St Helier and have appointed a St Helier conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our conveyancer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. Coventry Building Society have this evening contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our St Helier conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own St Helier solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must be out of my let out apartment in St Helier by the end of next month. Conveyancing on my purchase is progressing. Can I complete in a couple of weeks as I wish to avoid having to move into short term accommodation?
The normal practice is not to serve notice on a rental unless exchange of contracts has taken place. If you have not previously done so, update to your conveyancer and urge them to they apply pressure on the sellers solicitors, try to an acceptable time-line that all parties will work towards
In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in St Helier? Is this really warranted?
In order to comply with Money Laundering Regulations any St Helier conveyancing firm will require proof of identity in all conveyancing matters. This is normally satisfied by provision of a passport and an original bank statement or utility bill evidencing your correct address.
Under Money Laundering Regulations, property lawyers are required to investigate not only the ID of conveyancing clients but also the origin of monies that they receive in respect of any matter. An unwillingness to disclose this will result in your conveyancer cancelling their relationship with you, as clearly this will cause a conflict between the set Regulations and a refusal to disclose.
Your property lawyers will have an obligation to make a disclosure to the appropriate authorities should they consider that any monies received by them may contravene the Money Laundering Regulations.
My wife and I purchased a 4 bedroom Georgian property in St Helier. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Britannia. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to assess 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 St Helier and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. St Helier is where the house is located. Is there any guidance you can give?
Flying freeholds in St Helier are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in St Helier you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in St Helier may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.
I am a sole trader wishing to take over a lease of an office on a shopping parade. Can you recommend conveyancers offering no-sale-no charges for commercial conveyancing in St Helier for less than 2k?
We can recommend firms who host a wealth of experience of commercial conveyancing in St Helier, including the disposal and purchase of businesses as well as simply premises. Whether you are looking to buy or dispose of a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail unit or a whole business we can find you the right solicitor. As for the charges this will depend on the structure and complexity of the deal. Let us have your contact information or email so as to enable us to furnish you with comprehensive commercial conveyancing quote.