Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Knutsford is not listed on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s conveyancing?
That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 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 lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should simply call the Knutsford conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
Can you vouch for a Bank of Scotland approved Knutsford conveyancing solicitor that can complete within two weeks? Am I best advised to go for a high street Knutsford solicitor or a national comparison site?
We would be happy to suggest some excellent Knutsford conveyancing firms. Another option is to visit the main road in Knutsford. Approach a couple of firms and request to speak with a conveyancing solicitor for a quote. Discuss your time frames together with your reasons and get an assurance on speed. Appoint the one that you trust.
I am the registered owner of a freehold house in Knutsford but still charged rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Knutsford and has limited impact for conveyancing in Knutsford but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the generation of new rentcharges from 1977 onwards.
Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence after 2037 is to be extinguished.
I am buying a terrace house in Knutsford. The intention is to carry out an extension to the side at the property.Will legal conveyancing on the property involve enquiries to determine if these works are permitted?
Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Knutsford can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent certain works or necessitated the consent of another owner. Certain extensions require local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Some locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.
When it comes to mortgage companies such as Santander, do Knutsford lawyers have to pay a yearly amount to be on the list of approved solicitors?
We are not aware of any bank fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do levy an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.
After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on an apartment in Knutsford. My mortgage broker suggested a property lawyer. I paid an advanced payment of £225. A few days later, the property lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting 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 purchasing a new build house in Knutsford with a loan from Bank of Scotland. The builders refused to budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative advised me not to tell my conveyancer about this extras as it could jeopardize my mortgage with the bank. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer 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.
We're novice buyers - agreed a price, yet the agent told us that the owners will only proceed if we instruct the agent's recommended conveyancers as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family conveyancer used to conveyancing in Knutsford
We suspect that the seller is not behind this ultimatum. Should the seller want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a serious purchaser is likely to cause more damage than good. Speak to the vendors direct and make the point that (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you intend to instruct your preferred Knutsford conveyancing solicitors - as opposed tothose that will give the negotiator at the agency a referral fee or achieve conveyancing targets pre-set by corporate headquarters.