We are purchasing a 1 bedroom flat in Wokingham with a mortgage. We like our Wokingham lawyer, but the lender says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel firms or continue with our Wokingham conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We feel that this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms 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. A further alternative is for your Wokingham conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
Completed the sale of my flat in Wokingham last July yet the purchaser is e-mailing daily complaining that their lawyer is waiting to hear from mysolicitor. What should my lawyer have done following completion?
Following your house sale your solicitor should send the transfer documentation and all supplemental paperwork to the buyer’s solicitors. Depending on the transaction, your conveyancer must also evidence that the mortgage has been redeemed to the purchasers conveyancers. There is unlikely to be post completion requirements unique to conveyancing in Wokingham.
I am assisting my step-mother sell her property in Wokingham. Will the solicitor order the energy assessment or it is for the owner to see to?
Following the demise of HIPs, EPC’s became a mandatory element of selling a property. An energy performance certificate must be commissioned prior to the property being placed on the market. It is not a task that solicitors normally arrange. If you are instructing a Wokingham conveyancing practitioner they might help arrange energy performance certificates given their relationships with long established Wokingham providers
I am buying a property in Wokingham. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Clydesdale be concerned?
As your lender is Clydesdale your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing requirements set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Clydesdale. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Clydesdale where a lease fails to meet these specifications. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Wokingham.
I was told two weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by UBS. Is it usual for UBS to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Wokingham is approved on their conveyancing panel? UBS have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for UBS to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the UBS conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Wokingham prior to appointing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the property. The surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to grant a mortgage on a flying freehold home.
It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can look into this further via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Wokingham. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Wokingham especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Wokingham.
We're new on the property ladder - agreed a price, yet the selling agent informed us that the owners will only go ahead if we instruct their preferred solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Wokingham
It is unlikely the sellers are driving this. If they want ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious buyer is counter productive. Bypass the agents and go straight to the sellers and explain that (a)you are genuine purchasers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances arranged © you do not need to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you are going to appoint your own,trusted Wokingham conveyancing firm - not the ones that will provide their negotiator at the agency a introducer fee or meet his conveyancing figures demanded by HQ.
My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Wokingham. Conveyancing and Nationwide Building Society mortgage organised. I have received a letter from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1993. The conveyancing practitioner in Wokingham who previously acted has long since retired. Do I pay?
The first thing you should do is contact the Land Registry to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is indeed the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Wokingham conveyancing lawyer to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.
Wokingham Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - A selection of Questions you should ask before Purchasing
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Its a good idea to discover as much as you can regarding the managing agents as they can either make living at the property much simpler or uncomfortable. As the owner of a leasehold property you will be in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to practical matters such as the cleanliness of the common parts. Enquire of other people what they think of their management. Finally, be sure you understand the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the appropriate party and precisely what you get for your money. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? The answer will be important as a) areas can result in problems for the building as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the running of the building you will want to know about it