I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Swanley. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £175. Soon after, the solicitor called me to say 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 due to exchange contracts on my house. I had a double glazing fitted in September 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Bank of Ireland are being problematic. The Swanley solicitor who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Bank of Ireland are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Bank of Ireland have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Bank of Ireland have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Bank of Ireland may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
I've digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Swanley solicitor - who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Swanley postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Swanley.
We are purchasing a house and the conveyancer has referenced Chancel Repair for which the property could be liable because it falls into the area of such a church. He has mentioned insurance. Is this strictly appropriate for conveyancing in Swanley
Unless a prior purchase of the house completed after 12 October 2013 you may take it that conveyancing practitioners carrying out conveyancing in Swanley to remain encouraging a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I used Wolstenholmes several years past for my conveyancing in Swanley. Now, I need my documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Swanley of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How does conveyancing in Swanley differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Swanley approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is completed. This is because new home sellers in Swanley tend to acquire the land, 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Swanley or who has acted in the same development.
Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Swanley prior to instructing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. The surveyor advised that some banks tend refuse to issue a loan on a flying freehold premises.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions from Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check via the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Swanley. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Swanley especially if they are acquainted with such properties in Swanley.
In searching the internet for the words cheap conveyancing in Swanley it brings up numerous property lawyersin the area. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancing solicitor for the sale of my house?
The best way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted recommendation, so ask colleagues and relatives who have bought a property in Swanley or a local estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Swanley differ, so it's advisable to obtain a minimum of four costs illustrations from different property lawyers. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.