My partner and I are buying a flat in Knaresborough. My property lawyer is not on the lender conveyancing list. Is it possible for me to use my Knaresborough conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the mortgage company panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
Your options include
- Complete the deal with your existing Knaresborough property lawyer but your lender will no doubt appoint a conveyancing practitioner on their approved list. The net result is additional cost and likely delay.
- Get a fresh conveyancer to act in the purchase, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
- Convince your conveyancing practitioner to pull out all the stops to get accepted on the mortgage company panel of solicitors
The Knaresborough conveyancing lawyers that I recently instructed on my purchase in Knaresborough have suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I had to have a lawyer on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and my previous Knaresborough lawyer was not. I paid them 275 plus VAT on account. What are my options?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to help.
A friend recommended that where I am purchasing in Knaresborough I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
A search of this type is usually quoted for as part of the standard Knaresborough conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Knaresborough around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Knaresborough Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Knaresborough.
My wife and I own a semi-detached Edwardian house in Knaresborough. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and HSBC Bank. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You should review 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Knaresborough and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
About to purchase a new build apartment in Knaresborough. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.
Set out below is a sample of a few leasehold new build enquiries that you may expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Knaresborough
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Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified.
Due to the input of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Knaresborough ahead of retaining lawyers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies will refuse to give a mortgage on such a house.
It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Halifax. Should you wish to telephone us we can look into this further via the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Knaresborough. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Knaresborough especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Knaresborough.