My wife and I are planning to acquire a house in Hove and are in fact using a Hove conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. The Royal Bank of Scotland have this afternoon contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Hove conveyancer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
Where you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Hove lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
We note that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a referral fee if I instruct them for our own conveyancing in Hove?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Barclays conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Hove.
Should our solicitor be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Hove.
Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Hove. Some people will buy a house in Hove, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, suitable building insurance, or sell the premises. Steps can be carried out as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.
Conveyancers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that can be initiated by the buyer or by their conveyancers which can give them a better understanding of the risks in Hove. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms supplied to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) contains a usual question of the owner to discover whether the premises has historically flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the owner, then a buyer may commence a claim for damages resulting from an inaccurate reply. A buyer’s conveyancers may also carry out an environmental search. This should indicate if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further investigations should be initiated.
Is it simple use the search app to find a conveyancing lawyer in Hove on the panel for my mortgage?
1st pick a mortgage company such as HSBC Bank, Bank of Scotland or Clydesdale then type in your location a common one being Hove. Conveyancing practices in Hove and beyond will then be shown.
Completion is due on the sale of our £275,000 apartment in Hove next week. The freeholder has quoted £408 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Hove?
Hove conveyancing on leasehold apartments usually involves fees being levied by management companies :
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Completing pre-exchange enquiries
Where consent is required before sale in Hove
Supplying insurance information
Deeds of covenant upon sale
Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale
I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Hove, conveyancing formalities finalised November 2012. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Equivalent flats in Hove with an extended lease are worth £197,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2076
With only 55 years unexpired the likely cost is going to range between £31,400 and £36,200 plus professional fees.
The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed investigations. You should not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.
I am purchasing a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Hove who is on the mortgage company approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a Hove conveyancing firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for the mortgage company who do conveyancing in Hove. We dont recommend any particular solicitor.