It is 10 years ago since I acquired my property in Cranbrook. Conveyancing lawyers have just been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find my deeds. Is this a major issue?
Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be with your mortgage company or they may be archived with the conveyancers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly the chances are that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors procuring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Cranbrook involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
Do I need to attend the offices of the solicitor to sign the mortgage deed? If so, I will instruct a firm who offer conveyancing in Cranbrook so that I can attend their offices if necessary.
Nowadays conveyancing panel lawyers for lenders undertake all of the work via the post, e-mail or over the phone. This enables them to undertake the conveyancing transaction no matter where you live in England or Wales. That being said you can check if you can still book an appointment to visit conveyancing lawyer if needed.
We were going to get a OIP from UBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do UBS recommend any Cranbrook solicitors on the UBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Cranbrook solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the UBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and UBS through the process.
My wife and I are spending time looking at flats in Cranbrook and I am about to put in an offer. Is it sensible to have my conveyancer on ‘stand by’? I am planning to take a mortgage with Skipton.
It would be wise to commence your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their details on to the estate agent. Given that you are seeking a mortgage with Skipton, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Skipton conveyancing panel.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Bank of Ireland. I assume I don't need a Cranbrook conveyancing practitioner on the Bank of Ireland panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Bank of Ireland 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 Bank of Ireland mortgage from the register. Bank of Ireland, 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 Bank of Ireland has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Bank of Ireland has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I used Wolstenholmes a few years ago for my conveyancing in Cranbrook. I now require my file however the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call 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 Cranbrook of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one near me in Cranbrook I like with open areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 61 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Cranbrook for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?
If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease may be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.
My partner and I about to complete buying a house in Cranbrook but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have negotiated compensation from the owner of four thousand pounds taking the form of a adjustment in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process however my bank will not agree to this. Why were they informed?
Your property lawyer being on a lender conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform the mortgage company of any amendments to the sale amount. If you prohibit your property lawyer to report the price change to your bank then they would have no choice but to refrain from representing you and the lender.