Much to our surprise we have been informed by our estate agent that my Crowborough solicitor is not on the bank Solicitor panel. What can I do to be certain that this is indeed the case?
Your first step should be to call your Crowborough lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to inform you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your lender.
I am considering refinancing my flat in Crowborough, does my lawyer have to be on the Virgin Money Solicitor panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Virgin Money will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
When it comes to lenders such as Lloyds, do Crowborough property lawyers have to pay a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
My husband and I have organised a further advance on our mortgage from Nottingham as we want to conduct a loft conversion to our house in Crowborough. Do we need to appoint a high street Crowborough solicitor on the Nottingham conveyancing panel to handle the legals?
Nottingham don't usually require firms on their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nottingham list.
We expect to receive a DIP from Nationwide 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 Nationwide recommend any Crowborough solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Crowborough solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Nationwide through the process.
I opted to have a survey completed on a house in Crowborough before instructing conveyancers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to grant a mortgage on a flying freehold premises.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you contact us we can check via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Crowborough. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Crowborough to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
Frank (my husband) and I may need to sub-let our Crowborough basement flat for a while due to a new job. We instructed a Crowborough conveyancing practice in 2004 but they have closed and we did not have the foresight to seek any guidance as to whether the lease prohibits the subletting of the flat. How do we find out?
Notwithstanding that your last Crowborough conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can review your lease to see if it allows you to sublet the apartment. The rule is that if the lease is non-specific, subletting is allowed. Quite often there is a prerequisite that you are obliged to obtain consent from your landlord or other appropriate person prior to subletting. This means you not allowed to sublet in the absence of prior permission. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably refused ore delayed. If the lease prohibits you from subletting the property you will need to ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.
I acquired a studio flat in Crowborough, conveyancing was carried out 7 years ago. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent flats in Crowborough with an extended lease are worth £195,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 charged once a year. The lease finishes on 21st October 2087
With 63 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £16,200 and £18,600 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.
I recently found out that one of the directors of the law firm acting on the purchase conveyancing in Crowborough is an uncle of the seller. Is this permitted?
Provided no conflict arises this is permitted. If you are obtaining a mortgage then the mortgage company may have a say as many banks have specific instructions on this. For example for Virgin as of 11/9/2024, the requirements read as follows :