Is the fact that my solicitor in Kettering is not identified on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of his work?
That would most likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should contact the Kettering conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
What happens if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Principality Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Kettering?
The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. 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.
My wife and I buying a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Kettering. The intention is to convert the garage to a playroom at the house.Will the conveyancing process include enquiries to see if these works are allowed?
Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Kettering will occasionally identify restrictions in the title deeds which prevent categories of works or necessitated the permission of a 3rd party. Certain additions call for local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
After much negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Kettering. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their solicitor. I paid an upfront payment of £150. Not long after, the conveyancing practitioner called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Barclays panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I am selling my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Kent Reliance are being a right pain. The Kettering solicitor who is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Kent Reliance are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Kent Reliance have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Kent Reliance have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Kent Reliance may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
How does conveyancing in Kettering differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Kettering come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is ready to move into. This is because new home sellers in Kettering tend to acquire the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Kettering or who has acted in the same development.
We are four weeks into a freehold purchase having been recommend to solicitors by the estate agent to handle our conveyancing in Kettering. I am not happy. Can you help me find new lawyers?
A conveyancer would need to be really poor to suggest changing them. Has the mortgage offer been issued? If so you need to make them aware of the new conveyancer and ensure the loan are re-issued. The conveyancer should be on the lenders approved list to avoid escalating fees and complications. So that should be your first question of the new solicitors. The search tool can assist you in finding a bank approved solicitor for your home move in Kettering
All being well we will complete our sale of a £175,000 apartment in Kettering in just under a week. The landlords agents has quoted £360 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is the landlord entitled to charge exorbitant fees for a flat conveyance in Kettering?
Kettering conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes typically involves fees being invoiced by management companies :
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Answering pre-exchange questions
Where consent is required before sale in Kettering
Copies of the building insurance and schedule
Deeds of covenant upon sale
Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale
I own a basement flat in Kettering, conveyancing having been completed August 1996. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Comparable properties in Kettering with an extended lease are worth £186,000. The ground rent is £55 per annum. The lease ends on 21st October 2077
With 53 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £27,600 and £31,800 as well as legals.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information 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. You should not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.