We are buying a 2 bedroom apartment in Marlow with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Marlow conveyancer, but the mortgage company advise she’s not on their "panel". It appears that we have no option but to use one of the mortgage company panel firms or retain our Marlow lawyer and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; can we not require that the mortgage company use our Marlow property lawyer ?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Marlow conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
How up to date is your search tool for Marlow conveyancing solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel? Do RBS send you an updated list?
Marlow conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the RBS conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from RBS directly.
This question may be naive but I am unseasoned as a first time buyer of a garden flat in Marlow. Do I collect the keys to the premises on completion from my lawyer? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Marlow?
On the day of completion you do not need to attend the conveyancers office in Marlow. Conveyancing lawyers for you will arrange to send the completion advance to the owner’s conveyancers, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you will be called to collect the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Marlow. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Santander be concerned?
Given that your lender is Santander your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Santander. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Santander where a lease fails to meet these provisions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Marlow.
The mortgage over my property is with RBS for my property in Marlow. Conveyancing has been completed 12 months ago. If I am intending 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 RBS?
RBS must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of RBS’s mortgage conditions. It may be that RBS 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 RBS directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a RBS conveyancing panel lawyer.
I used Stirling Law a few years past for my conveyancing in Marlow. Now, I need the files however cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Marlow of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Given that I will soon spend £400,000 on a property in Marlow I would like to talk to a lawyer about mytransaction prior to appointing the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?
We could not agree more - we would be pleased to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you speaking to the conveyancer who will be conducting your property ownership legalities in Marlow.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important individual, not a matter number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Marlow should be the figure that you are charged.