Do lenders provide you with an approved list of Histon conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the UBS conveyancing panel?

Histon conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the UBS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from UBS directly.

I currently have a mortgage with Kent Reliance for my property in Histon. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. Should I wish to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Kent Reliance?

Your original mortgage agreement with Kent Reliance will provide that you need their approval in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Kent Reliance’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Kent Reliance directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Kent Reliance conveyancing panel firm.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Histon. My mortgage broker suggested a property lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £175. Soon after, the lawyer contacted me to say that they were not on the UBS conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the UBS panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I was told four weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Santander. Is it usual for Santander to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Histon is approved on their conveyancing panel? Santander have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.

A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Santander to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Santander conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Do commercial conveyancing searches disclose proposed roadworks that could impact a commercial land in Histon?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Histon will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in investigating accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Histon. The report sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Histon.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Histon it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately could cause delays to Histon commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for residential conveyancing in Histon.

I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £305k and found one round the corner in Histon I like with a park and station nearby, however it only has 49 years on the lease. There is not much else in Histon in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be an issue. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing owner has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer about this.

I have been sourcing a conveyancing lawyer in Histon for my sale. Is there any facility to review a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?

You can read published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details Pre 2008, or to check a firm's record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could recorded call for training requirements.