Do the Building Society Association intend to launch a search tool with a view to list solicitors on the Loughborough BS conveyancing panel for instance in New Romney?

We have not been informed any plans on the part of the BSA to develop such a tool.

This question may be naive but I am unexperienced as FTB of a ground floor flat in New Romney. Do I receive the keys to the premises on completion from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will appoint a local conveyancing solicitor in New Romney?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Your solicitors will arrange to send the completion advance to the owner’s solicitors, and once they have received this, you should be invited to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and start moving into the property. This tends to happen early afternoon.

I am purchasing a property in New Romney. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Kent Reliance be concerned?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Kent Reliance your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions set out in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Kent Reliance. The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Kent Reliance where a lease does not satisfy these provisions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to New Romney.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in New Romney. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

Almost all banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £305k and identified one close by in New Romney I like with amenity areas and railway links nearby, however it only has 52 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in New Romney in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be an issue. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current owner has owned the premises for at least 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.

Last October I purchased a leasehold property in New Romney. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure 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 New Romney - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Most New Romney leasehold apartments will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the block invoiced by the landlord. Where you buy the property you will have to meet this contribution, normally in instalments throughout the year. This may be anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for blocks with lifts and large communal grounds. There will also be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, normally this is not a significant figure, say around £25-£75 but you should to check as occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive. What is the name of the managing agents? What is the length of the lease?

To what extent are New Romney conveyancing solicitors duty bound by the Law Society to publish clear conveyancing figures?

Contained within the Solicitors Code of Conduct are specific rules and regulations as to how the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) allow solicitors to publicise their fees to clients.The Law Society have practice note giving advice on how to publicise transparent charges to avoid breaching any such rule. Practice notes are not legal advice issued by the Law Society and is not intended as the only standard of good practice a conveyancing solicitor should adhere to. The Practice Note does, nevertheless, represent the Law Society’s view of acceptable practice for publicising conveyancing charges, and accordingly it’s a recommended read for any solicitor or conveyancer in New Romney or further afield.