What is the first thing I need to know regarding purchase conveyancing in Hertfordshire?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Hertfordshire and elsewhere in England and Wales is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for confrontation between you and others involved in the ownership transfer. For instance, the seller, estate agent and even potentially the mortgage company. Choosing a law firm for your conveyancing in Hertfordshire should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY party in the process whose role it is to act in your best interests and to protect you.
On occasion a potential adversary may attempt to persuade you that it is in your interests to do things their way. For example, the selling agent may claim to be helping by claiming that your solicitor is dragging his heels. Or your financial adviser may try to convince you to do something that is contrary to your lawyers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.
We previously appointed solicitors with offices in Hertfordshire on the Coventry BS solicitor panel. They are now charging me a further charge for the legal aspects of the Coventry BS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by Coventry BS?
Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner is entitled to charge a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Coventry BS but by your Hertfordshire property lawyer. Numerous firms on the Coventry BS panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Hertfordshire off the council. I have a mortgage agreed 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 had an offer accepted on a house in Hertfordshire on 12/2/2024, valuation was booked 2 days later, all came back fine. Solicitor appointed, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Clydesdale and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Are Clydesdale entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Clydesdale to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Will my conveyancer be making enquiries concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Hertfordshire.
Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers dealing with homes in Hertfordshire. There are those who acquire a property in Hertfordshire, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate building insurance, or dispose of the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Conveyancers are not best placed to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous searches that can be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will give them a better understanding of the risks in Hertfordshire. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a purchaser’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) includes a standard question of the vendor to determine if the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred and is not revealed by the owner, then a purchaser may issue a claim for damages as a result of such an inaccurate reply. A buyer’s lawyers should also conduct an environmental search. This will higlight if there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be conducted.
I completed on my flat on 6 April and the transaction details are still not on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Hertfordshire advises it would be dealt with inside ten days. Are properties in Hertfordshire particularly slow to register?
As far as conveyancing in Hertfordshire is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than the rest of the country. Rather than based on location, timeframes can vary according to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry must send notices to any third persons or bodies. At present approximately three quarters of submission are completed in less than three weeks but some can be subject to longer hold-ups. Registration takes place after the purchaser is living at the premises thus 'speed' is not typically primary concern yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
I'm refinancing my existing property to a BTL loan with Barclays Direct and intend to use the remaining equity towards a second house. The location we are talking about is Hertfordshire. Will your lawyers be able to act for both sets of mortgage companies and link together the transactions?
Make use of our comparison tool on this site to ensure that the lawyers are on the relevant lender panels. Assuming that they are your solicitor will be able to connect the two transactions but you should talk with you lawyer and specify your desired outcome and needs.
I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in Hertfordshire for my house move. Can I review a firm’s complaints history with the legal regulator?
One may read documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations commenced on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes monitor call for training purposes.