My wife and I are only a couple days away from an exchange on a property in Kingsdown and my mum and dad have sent the 10% deposit to my lawyer. I am now told that as the deposit has been sent from someone other than me my lawyer needs to make a notification to my mortgage company. Apparently, in also acting for the lender he must inform them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I disclosed to the mortgage company about my parents' contribution when I applied for the home loan, so is it really necessary for him to raise this?

Your property lawyer is legally required to check with the bank to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. Your solicitor can only disclose this to your lender if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Coventry BS. Kingsdown conveyancing practitioners have been instructed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Coventry BS?

There is no definitive answer here. Have Coventry BS completed the valuation? Have you advised Coventry BS as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Kingsdown conveyancing practitioner on the Co-operative panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Kingsdown on 22/3/2024, valuation was booked 4 days later, all came back fine. Conveyancer appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Barclays and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Are Barclays entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Barclays to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Barclays conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

What can a local search inform me concerning the house I am buying in Kingsdown?

Kingsdown conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or via a personal search organisations for instance Searchflow The local search is essential in every Kingsdown conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search should supply data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen topic headings.

I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Kingsdown for my purchase. Can I check a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

You may find published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's record, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes recorded call for training reasons.

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Kingsdown. Before diving in I want to be sure as to the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is registered - and almost all are in Kingsdown - then the leasehold title will always include the basic details of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Kingsdown Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider Prior to buying

Best to be warned if window replacement or some other significant cost is coming up that will be shared between the leaseholders and will materially increase the the maintenance fees or result in a specific payment. Please tell me if there are any major works on the horizon that will likely increase the service charges? Make sure you find out if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is very common in Kingsdown leases that pets are not permitted in certain buildings in Kingsdown. If you love the flatin Kingsdown however your cat can’t live with you then you have a very difficult choice.