It is 10 years ago since I acquired my house in Cookham. Conveyancing solicitors have just been instructed on the sale but I am unable to locate my title deeds. Will this cause complications?
You need not be too concerned. First there is a chance that the deeds will be retained by your lender or they could be in the possession of the conveyancers who handled the purchase. Secondly in all probability the property will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Cookham involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it is more tricky but is resolvable.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Yorkshire BS Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Cookham?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
My bid for a property was accepted at auction in Cookham. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?
Now that you are legally committed yourself to purchase you must appoint a conveyancing solicitor quickly as you are facing a pending a drop dead date to complete the purchase. Every auction property will ordinarily have an associated legal pack. This will include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal papers may contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork pertinent to a leasehold property. You need to hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. Do make sure that your finances are in place to complete on the date specified in the contract.
My wife and I are spending time viewing houses in Cookham and I am about to put in an offer. Is it wise to have my conveyancing practitioner on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with Virgin Money.
It would be advisable to instigate your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the estate agent. As you are obtaining a mortgage with Virgin Money, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
My offer on a detached house in Cookham has been accepted, the sellers do nevertheless have an associated purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but it’s not yet agreed to, and have viewings of other flats in the pipeline. I have selected a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Cookham. What should be my next step? At what stage should I apply for the mortgage with Kent Reliance?
It is usual to have apprehensions where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs too early (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then valuation, Cookham conveyancing search costs, etc). First, you must check that your conveyancer is on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Concerning the subsequent phase this very much dictated by the uniqueness of your case, desire for the property and on the state of the market. During a rising market the majority of home buyers would apply for a home loan with Kent Reliance and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they ask their lawyer to proceed with the conveyancing in Cookham.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a property I put an offer in last month in what should have been a straight forward, no chain conveyancing. Cookham is where the house is located. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Cookham are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Cookham you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Cookham may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
We today discovered that one of the directors of the firm acting on the purchase conveyancing in Cookham is an uncle of the vendor. Is this permitted?
Provided there is no conflict of interest this should be fine. Where you are obtaining a mortgage then the bank may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific requirements concerning this. For example for Halifax as of 19/2/2021, the requirements read as follows :