I am selling my house in Harrow on the Hill and the EA has just e-mailed to say that the buyers are appointing a new conveyancer. The reason given is that the bank will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only work with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Harrow on the Hill ?
Banks have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in the last few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 15 years.
Lenders blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
A colleague pointed out to me me that in purchasing a property in Harrow on the Hill there may be a number of restrictions limiting what one can do in terms of external changes to a property. Is this right?
We are aware of anumerous of properties in Harrow on the Hill which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to perform external variations. Part of the conveyancing in Harrow on the Hill should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
Can you point me to a directory of Clydesdale panel conveyancers in Harrow on the Hill on the Building Society Association’s Website?
No. There is no such directory service on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of banks make their panel listings viewable over the internet. If you are in need of a Harrow on the Hill property lawyer on the Clydesdale please make the most of our facility.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Harrow on the Hill off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Nationwide. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Nationwide, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.
I have todaybeen informed that Wolstenholmes have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Harrow on the Hill for a purchase of a freehold house 9 months ago. How can I check that the property is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest method to check if the premises is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Harrow on the Hill conveyancing specialists.
I am looking for a flat up to £195,000 and found one round the corner in Harrow on the Hill I like with open areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Harrow on the Hill in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
If you require a home loan the remaining unexpired lease term may be an issue. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you can ask them to start the process of the extension and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
My husband and I are new to the buying process - had an offer accepted, but the selling agent told us that the owners will only go ahead if we appoint the agent's preferred solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. My instinct tells me that we should use a local solicitor with experience of conveyancing in Harrow on the Hill
We suspect that the owner is unaware of this demand. Should the vendor require ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious purchaser is not the way to achieve this. Bypass the agents and go straight to the owners and make the point that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you are going to appoint your own,trusted Harrow on the Hill conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will earn their estate agent a kickback or achieve conveyancing figures pre-set by head office.
I work for a reputable estate agent office in Harrow on the Hill where we see a few flat sales derailed as a result of short leases. I have received contradictory information from local Harrow on the Hill conveyancing firms. Please can you shed some light as to whether the vendor of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?
As long as the seller has owned the lease for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to start the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the proposed purchaser can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.
An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the buyer.
My wife and I have hit a brick wall in trying to purchase the freehold in Harrow on the Hill. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?
Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Harrow on the Hill conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Harrow on the Hill residence is flat 93b Welldon Crescent in May 2009. The Tribunals valuation for a 90-year lease extension of this fat was £13,171 This case affected 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 75.25 years.