We are planning to purchase a 3 bedroom apartment in Aintree with a mortgage. We like our Aintree solicitor, however the mortgage company advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel firms or continue with our Aintree solicitor and pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This feels very unfair; are we not able to require that the lender use our Aintree solicitor ?
No, not really. Your mortgage offer 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. Another option that might be available is for your Aintree conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
My lawyer in Aintree is not listed on the Coventry Building Society Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to use my prefered solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the Coventry Building Society panel?
The limited options open to you here include:
- Complete the purchase with your preferred Aintree lawyers but Coventry Building Society will need to retain a solicitor on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the overall conveyancing charges and cause frustration.
- Find an alternative practitioner to act in the conveyancing, remembering to check they are on the Coventry Building Society panel
Will my conveyancer be raising questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Aintree.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for solicitors dealing with homes in Aintree. There are those who acquire a house in Aintree, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.
Lawyers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that can be undertaken by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Aintree. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms sent to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a usual inquiry of the seller to determine whether the premises has historically flooded. If flooding has previously occurred and is not notified by the owner, then a buyer may commence a claim for damages stemming from an misleading answer. A purchaser’s solicitors will also commission an enviro report. This will higlight if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be conducted.
How do I use your search facility to locate a conveyancing practitioner in Aintree on the panel for my lender?
First choose a bank such as Yorkshire Building Society, Bank of Scotland or Clydesdale then choose your location e.g. Aintree. Conveyancing practices in Aintree and across England and Wales should be identified.
In surfing the world wide web for the words cheap conveyancing in Aintree it reveals many property lawyerslocally. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right solicitor for my move?
The ideal method of finding the right conveyancer is via trusted recommendation, so seek the counsel of friends and relatives who have acquired a property in Aintree or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Charges for conveyancing in Aintree differ, so it's a good idea to obtain a minimum of three fee estimates from different companies. Be sure to secure confirmation what costs in the quote includes.
I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor apartment in Aintree. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have just received a half-yearly maintenance charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
It best that you pay the invoice as you normally would given that all rents and service charges will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
I invested in buying a garden flat in Aintree, conveyancing was carried out April 2001. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Corresponding properties in Aintree with an extended lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2087
With 63 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £16,200 and £18,600 plus costs.
The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.