I have just been advised by my IFA that my West Kensington solicitor is not on the bank Conveyancing panel. What can I do to be sure that this is correct?
Your first step should be to contact your West Kensington conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.
How up to date is your database of West Kensington solicitors on the Nottingham conveyancing panel? Do Nottingham send you an updated list?
West Kensington conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Nottingham directly.
My bid for a property was accepted at auction in West Kensington. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?
Having legally committed yourself to purchase you will need to appoint a conveyancing solicitor as a matter of urgency as you will have a tight a drop dead date to complete the deal. All auction property will ordinarily have a corresponding auction set of papers. This should include most,if not all of the paperwork that your conveyancer requires. If you have purchased leasehold property the conveyancing papers should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation relating to a leasehold property. You should pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor as soon as possible. Do make sure that your finances are in place to complete on the date specified in the contract.
Please help - my lawyer advises that lack of building regulations insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in West Kensington?
The right level of lack of building regulations indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Accord Mortgages Ltd and Virgin Money. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.
I can not fathom if my lender requires a lease extension. I have telephoned my West Kensington building society branch on numerous occasions and was reassured it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My West Kensington conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they refuse to lend based on their specific requirements. Who do I believe?
The solicitor must follow the CML Handbook Part 2 specifications for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
My wife and I purchased a 4 bedroom Victorian house in West Kensington. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Halifax. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should review 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 West Kensington and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also check the position with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the conveyancing.
Can you provide any advice for leasehold conveyancing in West Kensington from the perspective of saving time on the sale process?
- A significant proportion of the frustration in leasehold conveyancing in West Kensington can be bypassed if you appoint lawyers the minute your agents start marketing the property and request that they start to collate the leasehold documentation needed by the purchasers’ solicitors. You may think that you are aware of the number of years remaining on your lease but it would be wise to verify this by asking your solicitors. A purchaser's conveyancer will be unlikely to recommend their client to proceed with the purchase of a leasehold property the remaining number of years is below 80 years. In the circumstances it is important at an early stage that you consider whether the lease term for your property needs extending. 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. Obtaining a new share certificate is often a time consuming process and slows down many a West Kensington conveyancing transaction. Where a reissued share is required, do contact the company officers or managing agents (if applicable) for this as soon as possible. Some West Kensington leases require Landlord’s consent to the sale and approval of the buyers. If this applies to your lease, it would be prudent to place the estate agents on notice to make sure that the purchasers put in hand bank and professional references. The bank reference should make it clear that the buyer is able to meet the yearly service charge and the actual amount of the service charge should be quoted in the bank’s letter. You will therefore need to provide your estate agents with the actual amount of the service charge so that they can pass this information on to the buyers or their solicitors.
After months of correspondence we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in West Kensington. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
Absolutely. We are happy to put you in touch with a West Kensington conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a West Kensington residence is 93 Oakwood Court in June 2010. the LVT determined that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £492,083, This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 37.79 years.
I have noted on numerous online forums that when choosing a conveyancing firm they need approved by your lender. This is my first home move but I have an AIP from Nat West Bank and I already have a high street conveyancing solicitor in West Kensington in place. Does HSBC insist on an approved solicitor to be selected? If so, where can I find that list for my conveyancing in West Kensington?
You should use a solicitor that is on the HSBC panel. The first thing to do is telephone your preferred West Kensington conveyancing lawyer to check if they are on the HSBC panel. If they are not on the panel you have a number of choices available to you here:
- Proceed with your existing West Kensington lawyer but HSBC will need to appoint a conveyancer on their approved list. This will result in additional cost and probable delay.
- Appoint a fresh lawyer to act in the purchase, not forgetting to check that they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel.
- Convince your conveyancing practitioner to apply to join the bank panel.