It is is a decade since I purchased my house in Birchington. Conveyancing lawyers have now been instructed on the sale but I can't track down the title documents. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a chance that the deeds will be kept by the lender or they could be in the possession of the lawyers who acted in the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Birchington involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it is more problematic but is resolvable.
What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Birchington
There are two types of lawyers who can do conveyancing in Birchington namely CLC regulated conveyancers or solicitors. The two can administer the legal services that required to complete the sale or acquisition of property. They are both obliged to perform Birchington conveyancing on similar standards and guidelines so you may be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be professionally carried out and that the requirements and steps should be suitably attended to.
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Nationwide are being a right pain. The Birchington solicitor who is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Nationwide are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Nationwide have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Nationwide have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Nationwide may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
My offer was accepted on an apartment in Birchington on 12/9/2025, valuation was booked 4 days after, all came back fine. Conveyancer retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Santander and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel. Are Santander entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
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 Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I have a semi-detached Victorian property in Birchington. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and National Westminster Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. Is it worth asking National Westminster Bank to clarify?
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Birchington and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.
Just had an offer accepted on a new build apartment in Birchington. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Birchington
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If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified.
How simple is it to change firm as I have to select one who is on the National Westminster Bank conveyancing panel. I was using a family conveyancing solicitor in Birchington round the corner but he is not approved by National Westminster Bank
We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in Birchington on the National Westminster Bank panel. Please note that the law firms that we on the directory do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the SRA who regulate all conveyancing solicitors in Birchington. In making use of the find a conveyancing solicitor tool on this page, you can scrutinise costs for conveyancing solicitors in Birchington and throughout England and Wales.
Our lawyer in Birchington has identified a a problem with the lease for the apartment we are purchasing in Birchington. The seller’s lawyers have offered defective title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor says that as he is on the bank conveyancing panel he must ensure that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the mortgage company?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the bank are the client. A precondition to being on the mortgage company approved panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that the mortgage company 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 lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.