My husband and I are acquiring a newly constructed flat in Ampthill and my solicitor is telling me that she has to the lender to disclose incentives from the seller. I am on a tight deadline to exchange contracts and I don't want to delay deal. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
My lawyer in Ampthill is not on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my family solicitor even though they are not on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society approved list?
Your options are as follows:
- Complete the purchase with your preferred Ampthill solicitors but Norwich and Peterborough Building Society will need to retain a conveyancer on their panel. This will inevitably rack up the overall conveyancing charges as well as result in delays.
- Choose an alternative lawyer to act in the conveyancing, obviously checking they are Persuade your lawyer to do everything within their powers to join the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel
We are buying a property in Ampthill. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? On the day of competition we will need to send money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
I am purchasing a property in Ampthill. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Yorkshire BS be concerned?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Yorkshire BS your lawyer must comply with the formal requirements set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Yorkshire BS. The CML Handbook contains minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Yorkshire BS where a lease fails to comply with these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Ampthill.
It is not clear whether my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Ampthill bank branch on a couple of occasions and was informed it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Ampthill conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. Who do I believe?
The conveyancing practitioner must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 specifications for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
I used Wolstenholmes several years ago for my conveyancing in Ampthill. I now require my file however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should contact 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 Ampthill 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.
How does conveyancing in Ampthill differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Ampthill approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because developers in Ampthill tend to acquire the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Ampthill or who has acted in the same development.
Is it possible to swap firm as I need to choose one who is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. I had appointed a family conveyancing solicitor in Ampthill five minutes from me but the firm is not approved by Aldermore
We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Ampthill on the Aldermore panel. Please note that the law firms that we work with do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in Ampthill. In utilising the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this website, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in Ampthill.