My fiance and I are buying a purpose built apartment in Tonbridge with a homeloan from Coventry Building Society.We like our Tonbridge conveyancing lawyer but Coventry Building Society advised that she’s not listed on their approved list of member firms. We have to appoint a Coventry Building Society panel solicitor or retain our high street solicitor and pay for a Coventry Building Society panel lawyer to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The home loan issued to you is subject to its various provisions, one of which will be that solicitors must be on the Coventry Building Society conveyancing panel. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Coventry Building Society
Is it the case that all Tonbridge CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Barclays conveyancing panel?
A selection of banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Tonbridge off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Barclays. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 Barclays, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Barclays conveyancing panel.
Intending to buy a house in Tonbridge. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Tonbridge conveyancer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.
Will our solicitor be making enquiries about flooding as part of the conveyancing in Tonbridge.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Tonbridge. There are those who acquire a house in Tonbridge, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Lawyers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a various searches that can be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in Tonbridge. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms supplied to a buyer’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a usual inquiry of the owner to determine whether the premises has ever been flooded. In the event that the property has been flooded in past which is not notified by the vendor, then a buyer could commence a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate reply. A buyer’s conveyancers should also conduct an enviro search. This will reveal whether there is a recorded flood risk. If so, additional inquiries should be conducted.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a simple, chain free conveyancing. Tonbridge is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Tonbridge are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Tonbridge you would need to get your solicitor to go 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 Tonbridge 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 need to find a conveyancing solicitor for my conveyancing in Tonbridge. I've chance upon a site which looks to be the ideal answer If there is a chance to get all the legals done via phone that would be preferable. Do I need to be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?
I have just appointed agents to market my basement apartment in Tonbridge. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, however I have just received a half-yearly service charge invoice – Do I pay up?
The sensible thing to do is clear the maintenance contribution as usual because all ground rent and maintenance payments will be allotted on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
I inherited a 1st floor flat in Tonbridge, conveyancing was carried out 4 years ago. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Tonbridge with over 90 years remaining are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease ends on 21st October 2093
With 67 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £10,500 and £12,000 plus legals.
The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before getting professional advice.