Me and my partner are purchasing a 3 bedroom apartment in Mumbles with a mortgage. We have a Mumbles solicitor, however the mortgage company says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or keep our Mumbles property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel firms to represent them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. 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. Another option that might be available is for your Mumbles conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
Why is leasehold purchase conveyancing in Mumbles is more expensive?
In summary, leasehold conveyancing in Mumbles and Swansea usually warrants extra hours of investigation compared to freehold conveyancing. This includes lease investigation, communicating with the landlord about the service of required notices, procuring current service charge and management information, procuring the freeholder’s consents and reviewing management accounts. The obligations on both the landlord and the tenant in the lease need to be studied by the buyer’s conveyancing team and read from beginning to end – no matter how many different leaseholders have owned the lease since it was first granted.
My uncle passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in Mumbles. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Coventry BS, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
If you plan to refinance then Coventry BS will require that you use a conveyancer on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Coventry BS conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Coventry BS mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I am helping my sister sell her property in Mumbles. Will the solicitor arrange an EPC or it is for the seller to see to?
After the demise of Home Packs, energy assessments was kept a required part of selling a house. An EPC must be commissioned before the property is advertised. It is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers ordinarily organise. If you are using a Mumbles conveyancing lawyer they may help arrange EPC’s due to their relationships with reputable Mumbles providers
I am purchasing a end of terrace house in Mumbles. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will the conveyancing process include enquiries to see if these alterations were previously refused?
Your conveyancer should review the registered title as conveyancing in Mumbles can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title deeds which prevent certain alterations or require the consent of a 3rd party. Some extensions call for local authority planning consent 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 ahead of any purchase.
is it true that all Mumbles solicitors on the Nationwide conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Nationwide approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many lenders do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
I'm purchasing my first flat in Mumbles with a loan from The Mortgage Works. The builders refused to budge the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The sale representative suggested that I not inform my solicitor about the deal as it will put at risk my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder 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.
Why is it not possible to complete my conveyancing in Mumbles on Easter Monday?
Because on completion the money needs to pass between the banks of the purchaser and seller's property lawyer and currently this can only occur on a working day. It is not possible to complete on a saturday or sunday either.