Our solicitor has identified a a legal deficiency with the lease for the flat we are purchasing in Wynyard. The seller’s lawyers have put forward title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our conveyancer says that he must ensure that the mortgage company is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the bank?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the risk of a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. Your solicitor must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the bank can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.
The Wynyard conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Wynyard have without warning shut down. I chose them because I needed a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and my family Wynyard lawyer was not. I cut them a cheque for £250 in advance. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to help.
We are aiming to move property in August. Will my conveyancing solicitor communicate with the removal company on the completion day. As an aside, can you suggest a removal company in Wynyard. Conveyancing firm was organised before I stumbled across your website.
On the afternoon of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from the estate agent however this should only be done after the previous owners lawyers inform the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be collected. After that you can inform the removal company that you are ready to move in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a particular removal company but can help you locate a conveyancing in Wynyard or a firm that specialises in conveyancing in Wynyard.
I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Aldermore. Wynyard conveyancing lawyers were selected. How long does it take for Aldermore to send the offer to the property lawyer?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Aldermore conducted the valuation? Have you informed Aldermore as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
My offer was accepted on a house in Wynyard on 28/5/2025, valuation was booked five days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Principality and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Principality conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
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 Principality to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Principality conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I used Action Conveyancing a few years ago for my conveyancing in Wynyard. Now, I need the files but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Wynyard of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Wynyard for my home move. Can I review a firm’s record with the legal regulator?
You may read published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded telephone calls for training reasons.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to finding a Wynyard conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Wynyard conveyancing firm) it is imperative that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with several firms including non Wynyard conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then so much the better. The following questions might be helpful:
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How many lease extensions has the firm conducted in Wynyard in the last year? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
I purchased a leasehold flat in Wynyard, conveyancing having been completed 5 years ago. How much will my lease extension cost? Comparable flats in Wynyard with over 90 years remaining are worth £170,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 levied per year. The lease ends on 21st October 2103
With just 78 years left to run the likely cost is going to span between £7,600 and £8,800 plus legals.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be other concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.