We are purchasing a 2 bedroom apartment in East Croydon with a mortgage. We like our East Croydon conveyancer, however the mortgage company says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel conveyancing practices or retain our East Croydon solicitor as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This seems very unfair; can we not insist that the lender use our East Croydon solicitor ?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’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. A further alternative is for your East Croydon conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
We are planning on selling our house in East Croydon and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. Any high street East Croydon lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers are using an online conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in East Croydon. We have lived in East Croydon for 4 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of 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 sickness)
I used Stirling Law several years ago for my conveyancing in East Croydon. I now require my papers but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 East Croydon of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I'm buying a new build house in East Croydon with a loan from Halifax. The developers would not budge the amount so I negotiated £7000 of extras instead. The estate agent advised me not to tell my solicitor about this extras as it would put at risk my loan with the lender. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.
Am I better off to instruct a East Croydon conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? We have a good friend who can carry out the conveyancing however they are based a couple of hundredkilometers away.
The primary upside of using a high street East Croydon conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to execute documents, deliver your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who used your friend and on the whole were happy that should outweigh using an unfamiliar East Croydon conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being based in the area.
Estate agents have just been given the go-ahead to market my 2 bed flat in East Croydon. Conveyancing solicitors are to be appointed soon, but I have recently received a yearly maintenance charge demand – what should I do?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should pay the maintenance contribution as usual given that all rents and service charges will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I have had difficulty in seeking a lease extension in East Croydon. Can this matter be resolved via the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a East Croydon conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a East Croydon residence is 29 Woodstock Road in April 2014. the Tribunal determined that the premiums to be paid into court in respect of the purchase of the freehold registered at HMLR under Title N0.SY3997 should be £7,217. This case affected 4 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 98 years.