Me and my partner are purchasing a 3 bedroom flat in Queenborough with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Queenborough solicitor, but the lender says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the mortgage company panel solicitors or keep our Queenborough conveyancing practitioner as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’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 Queenborough conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
We are about to complete on the purchase of a property in Queenborough but as a result of wreckage from the recent storms I have was able negotiate reparation from the seller in the sum of £2k taking the form of a deduction in the price. I had intended this to be addressed as part of the conveyancing process yet Co-operative are not allowing this. Why were they involved?
Any conveyancer that is on a Co-operative approved list is obliged to disclose to Co-operative of any amendments to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your conveyancing practitioner to report the price change to Co-operative then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Co-operative and you would have to appoint a new solicitor for your conveyancing in Queenborough.
We see that you have a search directory listing law firms on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a referral fee if I instruct them for our own conveyancing in Queenborough?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Queenborough.
My wife and I own a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Queenborough. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Godiva Mortgages Ltd. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw two entries: one for 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Queenborough and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also enquire as to the situation with the conveyancing practitioner who carried out the work.
How does conveyancing in Queenborough differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Queenborough approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because builders in Queenborough typically acquire the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Queenborough or who has acted in the same development.
What advice can you give us when it comes to finding a Queenborough conveyancing firm to deal with our lease extension?
If you are instructing a property lawyer for lease extension works (regardless if they are a Queenborough conveyancing practice) it is most important that they be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of work. We suggest that you make enquires with several firms including non Queenborough conveyancing practices before you instructing a firm. If the firm is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be of use:
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What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Queenborough in the last year? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
Queenborough Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before buying
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Is the freehold owned collectively by the tenants? This information is helpful as a) areas can result in problems in the building as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to know about it Is anyone aware of any major works anticipated that will add a premium to the service fees?