My husband and I are hoping to acquire a house in Ashford Kent and have appointed a Ashford Kent conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Coventry Building Society have this evening contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Ashford Kent solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Please explain?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Ashford Kent lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.
Do all mortgage companies provide you with an approved list of Ashford Kent conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Santander conveyancing panel?
Ashford Kent conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Santander conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Santander directly.
What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Ashford Kent
It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Ashford Kent conveyancing quote. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.
Are all Ashford Kent Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Skipton conveyancing list of approved solicitors?
It is true that some banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
I am buying a property in Ashford Kent. 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 your lender is Yorkshire BS your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Yorkshire BS. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Yorkshire BS where a lease does not meet these conditions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Ashford Kent.
Is it necessary to pay for insurance to address the risk of chancel repairs when buying a house in Ashford Kent?
Unless a previous purchase of the house completed after 12 October 2013 you can expect lawyers conducting conveyancing in Ashford Kent to continue to propose a a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Ashford Kent?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Ashford Kent. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
There are only 68 years remaining on my lease in Ashford Kent. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is can not be found. What should I do?
On the basis that you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be lengthened by the magistrate. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you have used your best endeavours to track down the freeholder. On the whole an enquiry agent may be helpful to carry out a search and prepare a report which can be used as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a property lawyer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court covering Ashford Kent.
I am the registered owner of a 1st floor flat in Ashford Kent, conveyancing was carried out in 1996. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Ashford Kent with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The ground rent is £50 per annum. The lease finishes on 21st October 2092
With just 68 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as legals.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.