My husband and I are planning to buy a flat in Crowborough and are in fact using a Crowborough conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report with the expectation that exchange is imminent. Bank of Scotland have this evening contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Crowborough solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?

When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Crowborough solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.

Can conveyancing in Crowborough to be finalised inside a month?

In a situation where the seller is applying time constraints for your conveyancing we would recommend that your lawyer is familiar with the area as they will make use of local connections and insight. It is even conceivable that they may have transacted previoushomes in the same road. You would be best advised to use a Crowborough conveyancing solicitor. In addition, check that the lawyer is on the on the approved list for your mortgage company. It is estimated that 18% of Crowborough conveyancing deals are held up or jeopardised after finding out that a buyer’s solicitor was not on their mortgage lender’s panel. In many cases this discovery resulted in the transaction being frustrated by an average of 21 days. It is understood that this issue affects in the region of one hundred thousand home moves every year. Most Crowborough conveyancing practices can not represent certain lenders so do check as early as possible.

As someone unfamiliar with conveyancing in Crowborough what is your top tip you can impart for the ownership transfer in Crowborough

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Crowborough and elsewhere in East Sussex is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for conflict between you and others involved in the legal transfer of property. For example, the seller, selling agent and even potentially the lender. Selecting a solicitor for your conveyancing in Crowborough is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE person in the transaction whose interest is to protect your best interests and to protect you.

There is a distinct creep in the "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you must always trust your solicitor ahead of all other parties in the home moving process.

My cousin has encouraged me to instruct his conveyancing solicitors in Crowborough. Should I find my own conveyancer?

Much as we are happy to recommend a Crowborough conveyancing lawyer the ideal way to choose a conveyancing solicitor is to seek referrals from friends or relatives who have actually previously instructed the conveyancer you're are thinking of instructing.

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years remaining on my flat in Crowborough. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the Court. However, you will be required to prove that you have made all reasonable attempts to locate the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent may be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be used as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a property lawyer both on proving the landlord’s absence and the application to the County Court overseeing Crowborough.

Crowborough Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

Is there a share of the freehold? For most Crowborough leaseholds the outlay for major works are not wrapped into the service charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Crowborough ask leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. How much is the annual service fee and ground rent?