Is it correct that all Chilwell CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the UBS conveyancing panel?

A selection of banks and building societies now use CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their panels.

Planning on purchasing a house in Chilwell. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the Santander conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Chilwell property lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel.

UBS have agreed my home loan in principle, my offer on a house in Chilwell has been accepted, what happens next?

The estate agent will want to be informed of your conveyancing practitioner's details (ensure that the lawyers are on the bank’s panel). Call up UBS or your broker and complete any appropriate forms. UBS will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the selling agent or seller to book an appointment. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes on average ten days for the mortgage offer to be issued. UBS will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Chilwell.

Me and my brother purchased a 4 bedroom Victorian property in Chilwell. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Virgin Money. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the exact same property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You should assess 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Chilwell and other locations in 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 solicitor who conducted the purchase.

I opted to have a survey carried out on a house in Chilwell ahead of instructing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. My surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend refuse to give a mortgage on a flying freehold property.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements from Birmingham Midshires. If you call us we can investigate further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Chilwell. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

Taking into account that I will soon part with £400,000 on a property in Chilwell I wish to have a conversation with the conveyancer regarding thehouse move prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Can this be arranged?

We could not agree more - we would be pleased to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the solicitor who will be doing your conveyancing in Chilwell.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is unique person, not a matter number. The practices that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are quoted for residential conveyancing in Chilwell should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

I've recently bought a leasehold flat in Chilwell. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Chilwell - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

This question is useful as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the running of the building you will wish to have all the details Best to be warned whether window replacement or some other major work is pending that will be shared amongst the tenants and will materially impact the level of the maintenance fees or necessitate a one off payment. What is the maintenance charge and ground rent on the apartment?