Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Sunbury is not identified on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of her work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% 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 solicitor 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 Sunbury conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
I am buying a new build duplex in Sunbury and my conveyancer is telling me that she is duty bound to the lender to reveal incentives from the builder. I am on a tight deadline to exchange and I don't want to prolong matters. is my lawyer playing by the book?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancer. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
The Sunbury conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my purchase in Sunbury have suddenly closed. I chose them because I had to have a firm on the Santander conveyancing panel and my family Sunbury lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Santander conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to help.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Sunbury?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Sunbury. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on two weeks back in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Sunbury is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Sunbury are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Sunbury you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Sunbury may determine 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 property.
As co-executor for the estate of my uncle I am selling a property in Swansea but live in Sunbury. My solicitor (approximately 235 miles from meneeds me to sign a stat dec before the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing practitioner in Sunbury to attest and place their company stamp on the document?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are Sunbury based