Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Hinton St George is not on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
That is most likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should contact the Hinton St George conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
I own a freehold house in Hinton St George but still pay rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Hinton St George and has limited impact for conveyancing in Hinton St George but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of fresh rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Old rentcharges can now be redeemed by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be dispensed with completely.
What happens if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the RBS Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Hinton St George?
First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
I used Action Conveyancing a few years past for my conveyancing in Hinton St George. Now, I need the documents but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should 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 Hinton St George of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I'm purchasing my first flat in Hinton St George benefiting from help to buy. The builders would not move on the amount so I negotiated £7000 of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my lawyer about the side-deal as it could put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Should I keep quiet?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Hinton St George before instructing conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies may not give a loan on such a house.
It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can look into this further with the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Hinton St George. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Hinton St George especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Hinton St George.