I can't travel far from Copthorne. Is there a reason why all Copthorne solicitors are not on all lender panels?
As unjust as it may appear for banks to restrict who can act for them, from the public’s or solicitor’s perspective, the other side of the coin is that mortgage companies are increasingly anxious and regard it vital to shield themselves against illegal activities. As a consequence of this concern lenders have consolidated their conveyancing panel to a size that they are happy to control.
My god-son is purchasing a house that has just been built in Copthorne with a mortgage from Clydesdale. His solicitor has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Clydesdale conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
Do lawyers ask for an advanced payment for conveyancing in Copthorne?
If you are buying a property in Copthorne your solicitor will ask you to provide them with monies to cover the search fees. Normally this is called for to cover the fees of the conveyancing searches. If any down payment is as part of the purchase price then this should be required immediately in advance of contracts are exchanged. The final balance that is needed will be payable shortly before completion.
I am buying a victorian detached house in Copthorne. Our aim is to convert the garage to a playroom at the house.Will the conveyancing process include investigations to see if these works are allowed?
Your solicitor will check the registered title as conveyancing in Copthorne can sometimes identify restrictions in the title deeds which prevent certain alterations or require the consent of a 3rd party. Certain extensions call for local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. It would be wise to check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
I have paid off my mortgage with Lloyds. I assume I don't need a Copthorne lawyer on the Lloyds panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Lloyds mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Lloyds mortgage from the register. Lloyds, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Lloyds has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Lloyds has instructed the Land Registry to do so
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Copthorne. My financial adviser suggested a property lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £150. Not long after, the property lawyer called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Santander conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Santander panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
What will a local search inform me regarding the property I am buying in Copthorne?
Copthorne conveyancing often commences with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as PSG The local search is essential in every Copthorne conveyancing purchase; that is if you don’t want any nasty once you have moved into your new home. The search will supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic sections.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in two weeks back in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Copthorne is where the house is located. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Copthorne are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Copthorne you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Copthorne may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.