My wife and I are looking to acquire a property in Twickenham and have instructed a Twickenham conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Aldermore have this evening contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Twickenham lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?
If you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Twickenham solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Completed the sale of my flat in Twickenham last January yet the purchaser is SMS messaging every few hours to moan that her conveyancer needs to hear from mylawyer. What are the post completion sale legalities following completion?
Post completion of your disposal your solicitor should forward the transfer documentation and all additional paperwork to the buyer’s conveyancer. If applicable, your solicitor should also confirm that the legal charge in favour of the lender has been repaid to the purchasers conveyancers. There are no post completion formalities unique to conveyancing in Twickenham.
Do I need to attend the offices of the solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Twickenham so that I can attend their offices when needed.
Nowadays conveyancing panel lawyers for mortgage companies undertake all of the communications via the post, e-mail or over phone calls. This means that they can undertake the legal work for your home move no matter where you live in the country. That being said you can see if you can still book an appointment to visit conveyancing lawyer if just in case this is required.
Will my solicitor be raising questions concerning flooding during the conveyancing in Twickenham.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for lawyers dealing with homes in Twickenham. Plenty of people will purchase a house in Twickenham, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, suitable insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Conveyancers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a numerous checks that can be initiated by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which should give them a better appreciation of the risks in Twickenham. The standard information given to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) contains a standard inquiry of the owner to determine if the premises has suffered from flooding. If flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the vendor, then a purchaser may commence a compensation claim as a result of such an misleading answer. A buyer’s lawyers may also commission an enviro report. This should indicate if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be initiated.
What does commercial conveyancing in Twickenham cover?
Twickenham conveyancing for business premises incorporates a broad range of advice, offered by regulated solicitors, relating to business property. For example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the assignment of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.
Is it best to choose a Twickenham conveyancing lawyer in close proximity to the house I am buying? We have a good friend who can conduct the legal work however her office is approximately 350miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Twickenham conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to execute documents, deliver your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and they were impressed that should surpass using an unfamiliar Twickenham conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being round the corner.