The Highgate conveyancing firm handling our Highgate conveyancing has uncovered a difference when comparing the information in the valuation survey and what is revealed within the title deeds. My solicitor informs me that he is obliged to ensure that the lender is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my lawyer’s stance appropriate?
Your lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for both parties.
The Highgate conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Highgate have suddenly closed. They were on acting for me because I needed a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel and my preferred Highgate lawyer was not. I paid them funds on account. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to help.
A relative advised me that in buying a property in Highgate there may be various restrictions affecting the ability to carry out external changes to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of anumerous of properties in Highgate which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Highgate should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Leeds Building Society. Highgate conveyancing practitioners were chosen. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Leeds Building Society?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Leeds Building Society done the valuation? Have you informed Leeds Building Society as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Coventry BS. I assume I don't need a Highgate conveyancing practitioner on the Coventry BS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Coventry BS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Coventry BS mortgage from the register. Coventry BS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Coventry BS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Coventry BS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I am looking into buying my first house which is in Highgate and I am already nervous. I couldn't find anything specific about Highgate. Conveyancing will be needed in due course but do you know about the Highgate area? or perhaps some other tips you can share?
Rather than looking online forget looking online you should go and have a look at Highgate. In the meantime here are some basic statistics that we found
My father-in-law has recommend that I use his lawyers for conveyancing in Highgate. Should I use them?
No doubt the ideal way to choose a conveyancing lawyer is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the firm that you are considering.
I have finally had an offer on an apartment in Highgate accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have offered on somewhere, but it’s not been accepted yet, and has viewings of other flats booked. I have chosen a nearby conveyancing solicitor in Highgate. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage application with Bank of Ireland going with Bank of Ireland?
It is normal to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur expenses prematurely (mortgage application is in the region of £1k, then survey, Highgate conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you should ensure that your lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel. Concerning the subsequent stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your transaction, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot market the majority of purchasers would apply for the mortgage with Bank of Ireland and pay for the survey and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their lawyer to press on with the conveyancing in Highgate.