Would the conveyancing solicitors that you recommend perform right to buy conveyancing in Hartlepool?
We have identified a variety of conveyancing firms who can handle right to buy conveyancing matters You should get in touch with us in order to obtain a costs calculation.
It is 10 years ago since I purchased my home in Hartlepool. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been appointed on the sale but I can't locate the deeds. Will this jeopardise the sale?
Don’t worry too much. First there is a chance that the deeds will be kept by the lender or they could be archived with the conveyancers who handled the purchase. Secondly in all probability the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Hartlepool relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is not registered it is more problematic but is resolvable.
My lawyer in Hartlepool has never been on on the The Royal Bank of Scotland Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to retain my family solicitor even though they are not on the The Royal Bank of Scotland panel?
Your options are as follows:
- Carry on with your existing Hartlepool solicitors but The Royal Bank of Scotland will need to instruct a solicitor on their list of acceptable firms. This will inevitably rack up the total legal charges as well as cause delays.
- Get a new practitioner to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the The Royal Bank of Scotland panel
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the home buying as a first time purchaser of a two bedroom flat in Hartlepool. Do I receive the keys to the property on completion from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will instruct a local conveyancing solicitor in Hartlepool?
There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the owner’s lawyers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be called to receive the keys from the property Agents and start moving into the property. Usually this happens early afternoon.
We had appointed conveyancing lawyers with offices in Hartlepool on the Aldermore solicitor approved list. They are now charging me a further charge for dealing with the Aldermore mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Aldermore?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your solicitor may levy a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Aldermore but by your Hartlepool property lawyer. Numerous firms on the Aldermore panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
I can not fathom if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Hartlepool building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Hartlepool conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called and was told they will not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply don't know who is right.
The conveyancing practitioner must comply with the CML Handbook Part 2 specifications for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank 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 bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
I have been told that property searches are the primary cause of delay in Hartlepool house deals. Is that correct?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published findings of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure within the top 10 causes of delays in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to feature in any delay in conveyancing in Hartlepool.
Our solicitor in Hartlepool has identified a a legal deficiency with the lease for the property we are buying in Hartlepool. The other side have suggested title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our solicitor has advised that as he is on the lender conveyancing panel he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the lender?
The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the potential for a conflict of interest, you and the lender are the client. A precondition to being on the mortgage company approved panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects will the lease so that the lender can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected . Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.