Find a Lender-Approved Local Conveyancer in Taunton

My partner and I are planning to purchase a property in Taunton and have appointed a Taunton conveyancing practice. Within the last couple of days our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. Leeds Building Society have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Taunton lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent 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 Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Taunton solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.

Would the conveyancing solicitors listed on your site perform attended exchange conveyancing in Taunton?

There are a few conveyancing experts carrying out personalised exchanges. You should contact us to secure a fee calculation and details as to dates.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and found one close by in Taunton I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it's only got 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Taunton suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan that many years may be an issue. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

I am selling my property. My previous conveyancers has retired. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Taunton if that makes things easier.

Please use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Taunton. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move runs with a minimum of fuss.

If all goes to plan we aim to complete our sale of a £175,000 apartment in Taunton next Wednesday. The landlords agents has quoted £312 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and previous years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Taunton?

Taunton conveyancing on leasehold flats typically necessitates fees being invoiced by freeholders :

Answering pre-exchange enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Taunton Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Taunton leasehold property is £350. For Taunton conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Taunton - A selection of Queries Prior to Purchasing

For most Taunton leaseholds the outlay for major works tend not to be included within service charges, although some managing agents in Taunton ask tenants to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific purpose of building a fund for larger repairs or maintenance. What prohibitions are there in the Taunton Lease? Is there a share of the freehold?

I pay a maintenance fee for my appartment in Taunton. As a result of personal circumstances I fell into arrears with payments. The managing agents agreed a payment schedule but there remains approximately £3000 outstanding as of today.

I now wish to sell and I am worried this could threaten to derail the sale if I have to pay off the amount due now. I'd like to sell up and then pay them back with the completion monies - is this viable?

Your solicitor should be able to negotiate with the appropriate parties, with a new to seeing if they would accept settlement from completion monies. Here is an example of why it is sensible to choose a property lawyer in Taunton as they are likely to enjoy an established relationship with the management company.