we are a couple who are buying a 1 bedroom apartment in Forest Row with a residential mortgage from Virgin Money.We like our Forest Row conveyancing practitioner but Virgin Money informed us he's not listed on their "panel". It seems we are left with no choice but to instruct a Virgin Money panel solicitor or keep our preferred solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The home loan issued to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that conveyancers needs to be on the Virgin Money approved list. in the past, most banks 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 lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Virgin Money
I am assisting my niece sell her flat in Forest Row. Will the conveyancing solicitor order an EPC or do I organise this?
After the abolition of Home Information Packs, EPC’s was maintained a required component of selling a house. An energy assessment should be to hand before the property is marketed. This is not something that conveyancers normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Forest Row conveyancing lawyer they might be willing to arrange energy assessments due to their contacts with reputable local accredited person
I am the sole recipient of my late mum's will and I have everything in my name alone, including the house in Forest Row. The Forest Row property was put into my name in March. I plan to dispose of the house. I understand that there is a Mortgage Lenders 6 month 'rule', which means that my property ownership could be considered the same way as if I'd bought the property in March. Do I have to wait half a year to sell?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook requires solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you may be caught by that. Most lenders would take a practical view as this clause is primarily there to pick up on the purchase and immediately sell or the wholesaling and assigning of properties.
I have finally had an offer on a flat in Forest Row accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have put an offer on on an apartment, however it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other apartments booked. I have instructed a high street conveyancing solicitor in Forest Row. What should be my next step? When do I get the mortgage application with Clydesdale going?
It is understandable to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (home loan application is approx £1k, then survey, Forest Row conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Concerning the next stages this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your transaction, motivation for this property and on the state of the market. In a buoyant market the majority of purchasers would apply for a home loan with Clydesdale and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their property lawyer to move forward with the conveyancing in Forest Row.
Will our solicitor be raising questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Forest Row.
Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Forest Row. There are those who buy a house in Forest Row, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, however there are a various checks that can be carried out by the buyer or by their lawyers which will figure out the risks in Forest Row. The standard completed inquiry forms given to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard inquiry of the vendor to determine whether the property has suffered from flooding. If the property has been flooded in past and is not disclosed by the seller, then a purchaser could issue a claim for damages as a result of such an misleading response. The purchaser’s conveyancers may also conduct an environmental search. This will reveal whether there is any known flood risk. If so, additional inquiries will need to be conducted.
I used Arc property Solicitors several years past for my conveyancing in Forest Row. Now, I need my documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should 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 Forest Row of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Forest Row is where the house is located. Can you offer any guidance?
Flying freeholds in Forest Row are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Forest Row you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Forest Row may determine 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.
How difficult is it to switch solicitor as I need to instruct one who is on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd conveyancing list. I had appointed a family conveyancing solicitor in Forest Row round the corner but he is not approved by Godiva Mortgages Ltd
We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Forest Row on the Godiva Mortgages Ltd panel. Please note that the solicitors that we list do not pay us fee if you instruct them and are regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Forest Row. In utilising the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this page, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Forest Row.