I am in the process of selling my maisonette in West Sussex and the estate agent has just e-mailed to say that the buyers are swapping conveyancer. The excuse is that the bank will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a major lender only work with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in West Sussex ?
Banks have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.
Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any impact on this.
It is 10 years ago since I acquired my home in West Sussex. Conveyancing lawyers have just been instructed on the sale but I can't find my title documents. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a possibility that the deeds will be with your mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who acted in the purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in West Sussex relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it is more tricky but is not insurmountable.
My Solicitor in West Sussex is not listed on the TSB Approved Panel. Can I still retain my prefered solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the TSB list of approved lawyers?
The limited options open to you here include:
- Complete the purchase with your preferred West Sussex lawyers but TSB will need to instruct a lawyer on their list of acceptable firms. This will result in additional overall conveyancing charges as well as result in frustration.
- Get an alternative solicitor to to deal with the purchase, not forgetting to check they are on the TSB panel
My wife and I purchasing a 3 bedroom semi in West Sussex. The intention is to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will legal work on the property include checks to ascertain if these alterations are allowed?
Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in West Sussex can sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which restrict categories of alterations or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Many extensions need local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Certain locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with TSB. West Sussex conveyancing lawyers were appointed. How long does it take for TSB to send the offer to the conveyancer?
There is no definitive answer here. Have TSB done the valuation? Have you advised TSB as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the TSB conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
About to purchase maisonette in West Sussex. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Yorkshire BS 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 West Sussex conveyancer is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.
Do I need to pay for insurance to cover chancel repairs when purchasing a residence in West Sussex?
Unless a prior acquisition of the house took place after 12 October 2013 you could assume that solicitors conducting conveyancing in West Sussex to remain recommending a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one round the corner in West Sussex I like with a park and transport links in the vicinity, however it only has 49 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in West Sussex suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
Should you require a mortgage that many years will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this.