Two weeks ago we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Skipton. Driffield conveyancing solicitors are appointed. How long does it take for Skipton to forward the offer to the conveyancing practitioner?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Skipton conducted the valuation? Have you advised Skipton as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Skipton conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
It is unclear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called my Driffield building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Driffield conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
The solicitor must comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 conditions for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Driffield. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their property lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £200. Soon after, the conveyancing practitioner contacted me to say that they were not on the Bank of Ireland 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 Bank of Ireland 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.
I am selling our property in Driffield and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street Driffield lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Driffield. Having lived in Driffield for six years we know of no issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation need.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer already. Are they able to advise? You need to check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same ailment)
How does conveyancing in Driffield differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Driffield contact us having been asked by the builder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is ready to move into. This is because builders in Driffield tend to purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Driffield or who has acted in the same development.
I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in Driffield before appointing solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. My surveyor advised that some banks may not give a loan on such a property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements from Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can investigate further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Driffield. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Driffield to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.
I have recently realised that I have Seventy years left on my lease in Driffield. I need to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?
On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent should be useful to conduct investigations and to produce a report to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder can not be located. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on investigating the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Driffield.
Leasehold Conveyancing in Driffield - A selection of Queries Prior to buying
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It is important to be aware whether redecorating or some other significant cost is coming up to be shared by the leasehold owners and will materially impact the level of the maintenance costs or necessitate a specific invoice. The answer will be important as a) areas can result in problems in the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where maintenance are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to have all the details
How varied are the property law services that Driffield conveyancing solicitors provide?
Generally most Driffield conveyancing organisations can provide a number of legal advice to home and land proprietors, sellers, purchasers, freeholders and tenants such as:
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Home sale conveyancing in Driffield or across the country
Residential purchase conveyancing in Driffield and further afield
Buying through Right to Buy (RTB) or Right to Acquire (RTA) schemes Staircasing (purchasing additional shares in your home) Amanah Compliant Finance including sales, purchases and refinances Bespoke or complex residential transactions including farms, estates, and company properties