My husband and I are looking to buy a property in Tyne And Wear and have instructed a Tyne And Wear conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with a view to exchanging next week. Platform Home Loans Ltd have this morning contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Tyne And Wear lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' lawyers 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 Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your lender 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 are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Tyne And Wear solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
I require conveyancing for an apartment in a relatively new development (6 years built) in Tyne And Wear. The vast majority the flats have already been disposed of. Do I need carry out the neighbourhood searches for my conveyancing in Tyne And Wear?
A big part of the Tyne And Wear legal transfer of property is the conveyancing searches. There are hundreds companies who offer Tyne And Wear conveyancing searches, as well straight from the local authority. These are known collectively as personal search companies and they produce, not surprisingly, personal searches. Nevertheless, all Local Authority Search conveyancing products have one thing in common - they must obtain their data from the local authoritative source.
Can you explain why leasehold purchase conveyancing in Tyne And Wear is more expensive?
Tyne And Wear leasehold properties involve far more paperwork than a freehold purchase, and therefore takes more time to examine and advise upon.Conveyancing will involve the lease having to be checked which is usually a lengthy document, queries raised to ensure that the covenants and conditions have been observed. If it is a flat there will be a management company in existence and the accounts of this will need to be checked and enquiries raised to ensure it is operating efficiently and that all monies due have been paid by the Seller to the company and if not ensuring that money is paid up to date or the appropriate undertakings obtained.
My stepmother pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Tyne And Wear there may be various restrictions prohibiting external alterations to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of anumerous of properties in Tyne And Wear which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Tyne And Wear should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
I am being told by my solicitor that chancel insurance is needed on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Tyne And Wear?
The right level of chancel indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Halifax and Chelsea Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Kent Reliance. Tyne And Wear conveyancing solicitors are appointed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Kent Reliance?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Kent Reliance conducted the survey? Have you advised Kent Reliance as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 68 years unexpired on my lease in Tyne And Wear. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is absent. What are my options?
If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to find the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent would be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court covering Tyne And Wear.
Tyne And Wear Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before Purchasing
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For many Tyne And Wear leaseholds the cost for major works tend not to be included within maintenance charges, albeit that there some managing agents in Tyne And Wear obliged leasehold owners to contribute towards a sinking fund and this is used to offset against major works. What prohibitions are there in the Tyne And Wear Lease? You will want to discover as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they will affect your use and enjoyment of the property. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to every day matters such as the tidiness of the communal areas. Ask prospective neighbours what they think of them. In conclusion, find out the dates that the maintenance fees are due to the managing agents and specifically what you get for your money.
I recently discovered that one of the partners of the solicitors undertaking the purchase conveyancing in Tyne And Wear is a relative of the vendor. Is this allowed?
As long as no conflict arises this is allowable. Where you are needing mortgage finance then the lender may have a say as many lenders have specific requirements concerning this. For example for Bradford & Bingley as of 16/11/2025, the requirements read as follows :