Me and my husband are purchasing a flat in Lechlade. My Solicitor is not on the lender conveyancing list. Am I still permitted to appoint my Lechlade conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the bank list of approved lawyers?
You have a number of alternatives available to you here
- Carry on with your existing Lechlade lawyer but your mortgage company will need to retain a conveyancing practitioner from their approved panel. The net result is additional charges and probable frustration.
- Choose a fresh conveyancer to conduct the conveyancing, obviously checking they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
- Appeal to your property lawyer to apply to join the mortgage company panel
We see that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the UBS conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a referral fee if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Lechlade?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the UBS conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Lechlade.
I am selling my home in Lechlade. Will the solicitor have to be on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently in recent years.
Last month we had a mortgage agreed in principle with Aldermore. Lechlade conveyancing practitioners were appointed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Aldermore?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Aldermore conducted the survey? Have you advised Aldermore as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Lechlade off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Virgin Money. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel.
It is not clear whether my lender obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have telephoned my Lechlade building society branch on various occasions and was told it wasn't an issue and they would lend. My Lechlade conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they will not lend based on their specific requirements. I have no idea who is right.
As long as the solicitor is on the mortgage company panel, they must adhere to the CML Handbook specifications for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.
My wife and I purchased a terraced Victorian property in Lechlade. Conveyancing solicitor acted for me and TSB. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Lechlade and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who carried out the work.
We're new on the property ladder - had an offer accepted, but the selling agent told us that the owners will only move forward if we use the agent's preferred solicitors as they want an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a high street conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Lechlade
It is improbable the owners are behind this. Should the owner desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine buyer is likely to cause more damage than good. Bypass the agents and go straight to the sellers and make the point that (a)you are genuine buyers (b)you are excited to move forward, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you will continue to use your own,trusted Lechlade conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will give their estate agent a commission or meet his conveyancing figures pre-set by corporate headquarters.