What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Kingsbury? What am I being asked for?
You are right in these requests have nothing to do with conveyancing in Kingsbury. Nowadays you can not proceed with any conveyancing transaction without first supplying evidence of your identity. Ordinarily this takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence and a bank statement. Please note that if you are providing your driving licence as evidence of ID it needs to be both the paper element as well as the photo card part, one is not acceptable in the absence of the other.
Evidence of the origin of money is necessary under Money Laundering Regulations. Please do not be offended when you are asked to produce this as your conveyancing solicitor will need to have this information on record. Your Kingsbury conveyancing lawyer will need to see evidence of proof of funds before they are able to accept any money from you into their client account and they will also ask further questions concerning the origin of funds.
I have an AIP. The bank mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Does this mean I have to use their panel solicitor as I would much rather appoint a specialised conveyancing solicitor in Kingsbury?
You should check but the chances are that give you one of their panel solicitors should you take up the "fee-free" incentive. Call the lender and see if they make available a monetary alternative. In the past a few lenders offered a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor in Kingsbury.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Kingsbury. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Clydesdale have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As you are obtaining a mortgage with Clydesdale your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Clydesdale. The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Clydesdale where a lease fails to satisfy these specifications. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not isolated to Kingsbury.
We expect to receive a OIP from Leeds Building Society this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Leeds Building Society recommend any Kingsbury solicitors on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Kingsbury solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Leeds Building Society through the process.
My wife and I are at the point of viewing flats in Kingsbury and I am about to put in an offer. Is it best to have a property lawyer on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a home loan with Virgin Money.
You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the estate agent. Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Virgin Money, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
My wife and I have a 4 bedroom Victorian property in Kingsbury. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Halifax. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Kingsbury and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the purchase.
I am purchasing a new build house in Kingsbury with a mortgage from Virgin Money. The developers would not move on the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative told me not reveal to my lawyer about this extras as it could put at risk my loan with Virgin Money. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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 input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Kingsbury in advance of retaining lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor has said that some lenders will not issue a mortgage on such a house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different instructions for example to Nationwide. If you call us we can investigate further via the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Kingsbury. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.