My husband and I are looking to purchase a property in Uxbridge and have appointed a Uxbridge conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. National Westminster Bank have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Uxbridge solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?
Where you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the mortgage company. 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 Accreditation Scheme. Your solicitor 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 as you are at liberty to use your preferred Uxbridge lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
It is is a decade since I acquired my house in Uxbridge. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been appointed on the sale but I am unable to find my title documents. Is this a major issue?
Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be with the mortgage company or they could be in the possession of the solicitor who oversaw the purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors procuring up to date copy of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Uxbridge involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
I am purchasing a garden flat in Uxbridge. Can I do my own conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Uxbridge you will have to appoint a solicitor on your mortgage company's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Uxbridge.
Please help - my lawyer advises that absentee landlord insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Uxbridge?
The right level of absentee landlord indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Santander and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.
I happen to be the single beneficiary of my late grandmother’s estate with all property in now in my sole name, including the my former home in Uxbridge. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in December. I now wish to sell up. I do know about the CML 6 month 'rule', which means that my property ownership could be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the house in December. Will no one buy the property for half a year?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook obliges solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you may be impacted by that. Some mortgage companies would take a sensible view as this clause chiefly exists to capture subsales or the quick reselling of property.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Uxbridge. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
We are downsizing from our home in Uxbridge and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. A high street Uxbridge conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers used a factory type conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Uxbridge. Having lived in Uxbridge for many years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to seek confirmation that there is no issue.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You should enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)
I have just started marketing my ground floor flat in Uxbridge. Conveyancing is yet to be initiated, however I have just received a half-yearly service charge demand – Do I pay up?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the invoice as normal because all rents and maintenance charges should be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer until the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. This will smooth the conveyancing process.
I own a a ground floor purpose built flat in Uxbridge. Given that I can not reach agreement with the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount due for a lease extension?
Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Uxbridge conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Uxbridge flat is 164 Nestles Avenue in October 2013. The tribunal agreed with the proposed price of £20,158 for the freehold and determined that that sum is the amount to be paid into court This case related to 2 flats. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 69 years.