We are intending to purchase a 2 bedroom apartment in Cippenham with a mortgage. We would like to retain our Cippenham solicitor, however the mortgage company advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel firms or keep our Cippenham conveyancing practitioner and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you 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 Cippenham conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
It is a dozen years since I purchased my property in Cippenham. Conveyancing lawyers have now been retained on the sale but I am unable to find my title documents. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be with the mortgage company or they may stored with the lawyers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Cippenham relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
My grandmother passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Cippenham. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £5k. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Kent Reliance, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
If you intend to refinance then Kent Reliance will require that you use a conveyancer on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Kent Reliance conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Kent Reliance mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I'm purchasing my first flat in Cippenham benefiting from help to buy. The sellers would not move on the price so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative told me not reveal to my lawyer about this extras as it may adversely affect my loan with Barnsley Building Society. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
We're first time buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the estate agent told us that the owners will only go ahead if we instruct their recommended lawyers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Cippenham
We suspect that the seller is unaware of this demand. Should the vendor desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a serious buyer is likely to cause more damage than good. Avoid the agents and go straight to the sellers and explain that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you intend to use your own,trusted Cippenham conveyancing lawyers - rather thanthose that will provide the estate agent a kickback or achieve conveyancing figures pre-set by HQ.
I happen to be an executor of my recently deceased mother’s Will, with a property in Cippenham which is to be sold. The house is unregistered at the Land Registry and I'm advised that some EAs will insist that it is done before they will move forward. What's the procedure for this?
In the situation you refer to it seems sensible to seek to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. The Land Registry’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.