Me and my partner are purchasing a 3 bedroom apartment in Taplow with a mortgage. We like our Taplow lawyer, but the mortgage company advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel conveyancing practices or keep our Taplow conveyancing practitioner and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This feels very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. 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 Taplow conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
The sellers of the property we are hoping to buy are using a conveyancing solicitor in Taplow who has suggested a lock out agreement with a payment 10k. Are such agreements sensible?
Lock out contracts are agreements between a home vendor and prospective buyer giving the buyer exclusive rights to purchase the premises for a limited period of time. Essentially, a lock out agreement is a contract specifying that you should have a contract at a later time being the contract for the actual sale. It tends to be used for buyer assurance though in some cases, the vendor may stand to benefit from such agreements as well. There are numerous pros and cons to having an agreement but you need to check with your lawyer but beware that it may result in incurring more in conveyancing fees. For these reasons these agreements are avoided in relation to conveyancing in Taplow.
Will my conveyancing lawyers need to check that the building insurance for my purchase of a house in Taplow. My lender is Tesco Bank
Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook. As of 16/3/2025, the requirements read as follows :
I have been sourcing a conveyancing practitioner in Taplow for my house move. Is it possible to check a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
Anyone can see presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find details about the period before 1 January 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. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may monitor telephone calls for training purposes.
Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in Taplow from the point of view of expediting the sale process?
- A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in Taplow can be bypassed where you appoint lawyers the minute you market your property and request that they start to collate the leasehold information which will be required by the buyers’ conveyancers. If you have carried out any alterations to the residence would they have required Landlord’s permission? Have you, for example laid down wooden flooring? Taplow leases often stipulate that internal structural alterations or addition of wooden flooring necessitate a licence issued by the Landlord consenting to such changes. If you dont have the consents in place you should not contact the landlord without checking with your lawyer first. You may think that you are aware of the number of years left on your lease but you should double-check by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's lawyer will be unlikely to recommend their client to to exchange contracts if the lease term is under 75 years. It is therefore important at an as soon as possible that you identify whether the lease requires a lease extension. If it does, contact your solicitors before you put your premises on the market for sale. If you have the benefit of shareholding in the Management Company, you should make sure that you are holding the original share document. Organising a new share certificate is often a lengthy formality and delays many a Taplow conveyancing deal. If a duplicate share is necessary, do contact the company director and secretary or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible.
Taplow Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying
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What prohibitions are contained in the Taplow Lease? For most Taplow leaseholds the outlay for major works are not included within service charges, although a few managing agents in Taplow obliged leasehold owners to pay into a sinking fund created for the specific intention of building a fund for major repairs or maintenance. Be sure to find out if the the lease includes any unreasonable restrictions in the lease. For instance plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in certain buildings in Taplow. If you like the flatin Taplow but your dog can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise.
How does one remove a deceased person's name from the title register for a house in Taplow?
Where a Taplow property is jointly owned and one of the owners dies, the name will not immediately be removed from the title deeds. It is not necessary to amend the title as in the event of a disposal you would just be asked to supply proof as to the reason the co proprietor is not a party to the contract, such as the probate documents.
With the aim of making things smoother in the future you may arrange to have the deceased party removed from the title register by applying to HM Land Registry with evidence of the death. There is no fee from the Registry for this service.