We wish to acquire a purpose built apartment in Bury with a mortgage from Leeds Building Society.We have a Bury conveyancing solicitor but Leeds Building Society says his firm is not on their "panel". We have to appoint a Leeds Building Society panel lawyer or keep our local solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Leeds Building Society use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The loan offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, a common one being that conveyancers must be on the Leeds Building Society solicitor panel. in the past, most banks had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find 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. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Leeds Building Society

Are all Bury Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the RBS conveyancing list of approved solicitors?

Some major lenders now make use of the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their panels.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Bury. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender RBS be concerned?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with RBS your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions contained in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS. The CML Handbook includes minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to RBS where a lease fails to satisfy these provisions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Bury.

I can not fathom if my lender requires a lease extension. I have called into my local Bury bank branch on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they will lend. My Bury conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- called and was told they will not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

The conveyancer has to comply with the CML Handbook section two requirements for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank 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 remaining.

Just bought a detached house in Bury , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing my proprietorship? My Bury conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be certain the land registry aspects are dealt with.

There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in Bury registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can adjust according to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry need to notify any interested parties. Currently in the region of 80% of submission are fully dealt with within two weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Historically registration is effected after the buyer is living at the premises so 'speed' is not always an essential issue but if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer must communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

How does conveyancing in Bury differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build residence in Bury contact us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is finished. This is because developers in Bury typically 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 conveyancers 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 used to new build conveyancing in Bury or who has acted in the same development.

In relation to leasehold conveyancing in Bury what are the most common lease defects?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Bury. Most leases are unique and drafting errors can sometimes mean that certain provisions are erroneous. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

A duty to insure the building

A defective lease will likely cause problems when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Barclays , Skipton Building Society, and Aldermore all have express requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease is defective they may refuse to provide security, forcing the purchaser to withdraw.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Bury - A selection of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

The answer will be helpful as a) areas may cause problems in the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the running of the building you will want to know about it Be sure to find out if the the lease contains any adverse restrictions in the lease. By way of example some leases prohibit pets being permitted in in a block in Bury. If you like the apartmentin Bury however your cat can’t make the move with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise. Is the freehold owned collectively by the leaseholders?