I am selling my apartment in Kingston upon Thames and the EA has just text me to say that the buyers are switching law firm. The excuse is that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a major mortgage company only work with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames ?
Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.
Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
I am buying a property mortgage free in Kingston upon Thames. I have lived for the previous twelve years in Kingston upon Thames. Conveyancing searches are exorbitant. Given that I know the area and road very well should I not bother getting the solicitor to do all the conveyancing searches?
If you not getting a mortgage, then almost all of the Kingston upon Thames conveyancing searches are optional. Your conveyancer will ’encourage you, perhaps strongly, that you should have searches done, but he has a professional duty to do this. One thing to consider; if you are going to sell the house at a future date, it will be of importance to your prospective purchaser what the searches contain. There are plenty of instances where premises with no practical issues can still throw up unfavourable search results. A good conveyancing solicitor in Kingston upon Thames should provide you some practical advice here.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build flat in Kingston upon Thames. Conveyancing is daunting at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.
Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames
-
The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Please supply a car parking plan. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier?
I am using a search engine for the term on line conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames it shows results of numerous solicitorslocally. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable conveyancer for the sale of my house?
The ideal method of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted referral, so enquire of colleagues and those you trust who have bought a property in Kingston upon Thames or the respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames vary, so it's advisable to request at least three quotes from varying types of solicitors. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.
I would like to sublet my leasehold flat in Kingston upon Thames. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask her. Is permission from the freeholder required?
Notwithstanding that your previous Kingston upon Thames conveyancing solicitor is no longer around you can check your lease to see if you are permitted to let out the property. The accepted inference is that if the deeds are non-specific, subletting is allowed. There may be a precondition that you must obtain permission via your landlord or other appropriate person in advance of subletting. The net result is you not allowed to sublet without prior consent. Such consent is not allowed to be unreasonably withheld. If your lease prohibits you from subletting the property you should ask your landlord if they are willing to waive this restriction.
I am the proprietor of a ground-floor 1960’s flat in Kingston upon Thames. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the premium due for the purchase of the freehold?
if there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to assess the amount due.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Kingston upon Thames flat is Flat D 15 Claremont Gardens in September 2013. TheTribunal determined in accordance with section48 and Schedule13 of the Leasehold Reform,Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 that the premium for the extended lease should be fourteen thousand one hundred and eighty seven pounds (£14,187.00) This case related to 1 flat.
I have just discovered that one of the partners of the solicitors undertaking the purchase conveyancing in Kingston upon Thames is related to the seller. Is this acceptable?
Provided no conflict arises this should be fine. Where you are obtaining a home loan then the bank may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific requirements on this. For example for Royal Bank of Scotland as of 16/2/2026, the requirements read as follows :