We are buying a 2 bedroom apartment in Hereford with a mortgage. We have a Hereford solicitor, however the bank says he's not on their "panel". It seems we have no option but to instruct one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or retain our Hereford lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’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 Hereford conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
Last February we completed a house move in Hereford. We have noticed several issues with the house which we suspect were missed in the conveyancing searches. Is there anything we can do? Can you clarify the nature of searches that should have been conducted for conveyancing in Hereford?
The question is vague as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Hereford. Conveyancing searches and due diligence undertaken as part of the buying process are designed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller answers a document referred to as a Seller’s Property Information Form. answers proves to be misleading, then you may have a claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Hereford.
We are buying a victorian detached house in Hereford. Our aim is to convert the garage to an office at the house.Will legal conveyancing on the property involve investigations to determine if these alterations are allowed?
Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Hereford will on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which restrict categories of changes or need the consent of another owner. Many works call for local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be prudent to check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
I have been told by my lawyer that chancel insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Hereford conveyancing?
The appropriate level of chancel indemnity insurance depends on who your lender is. It would differ for example between Birmingham Midshires and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.
We had chosen solicitors locally in Hereford on the UBS solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a further amount for handling the UBS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by UBS?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner can levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by UBS but by your Hereford property lawyer. Plenty of firms on the UBS panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
I need some fast conveyancing in Hereford as I am under an ultimatum to complete inside 4 weeks. A mortgage is not required. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save money and time?
As you are are a cash buyer you have the choice not to have searches conducted although no solicitor would advise that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Hereford the following are examples of what can appear and adversely impact market value: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Charges, Outstanding Grants, Unadopted Roads,...
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Hereford. Now, I need my files however 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 Hereford of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I am looking at a two maisonettes in Hereford which have in the region of 50 years remaining on the lease term. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?
There are plenty of short leases in Hereford. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As a lease shortens the value of the lease reduces and it becomes more costly to extend the lease. For this reason it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. More often than not it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease as mortgage companies less inclined to grant a loan on properties of this type. Lease extension can be a difficult process. We recommend you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this arena.
I own a 2 bed flat in Hereford, conveyancing was carried out in 2004. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Corresponding properties in Hereford with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 yearly. The lease terminates on 21st October 2073
With just 52 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £29,500 and £34,000 as well as costs.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.