Me and my fiance are buying a 2 bedroom apartment in Mickleover with a mortgage. We would like to retain our Mickleover lawyer, but the lender advise she’s not on their "panel". It appears that we have little choice but to use one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or continue with our Mickleover property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. We consider that this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your Mickleover conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
Do all mortgage companies provide you with an approved list of Mickleover conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Principality conveyancing panel?
Mickleover conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Principality conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Principality directly.
I am assisting my niece sell her flat in Mickleover. Does the solicitor order an energy assessment or do I organise this?
Following the demise of Home Packs, energy performance certificates was left as a compulsory part of moving property. An energy assessment must be to hand in advance of the property being put on the market. This is not something that solicitors normally organise. If you are instructing a Mickleover conveyancing practitioner they may be willing to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with long established Mickleover assessors
Is it correct that all Mickleover CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel?
It is true that some lenders now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Santander. Mickleover conveyancing lawyers are instructed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Santander?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have Santander completed the valuation? Have you advised Santander as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Santander conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
I purchased a renovated Edwardian house in Mickleover. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Alliance & Leicester . I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for 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 Mickleover 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 conducted the purchase.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £195,000 and identified one near me in Mickleover I like with a park and station in the vicinity, however it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Mickleover for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?
If you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the property for at least twenty four months you could request that they commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this matter.
I am looking for a conveyancing solicitor in Mickleover for my house move. Is it possible to see a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
You may review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions resulting from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.