we are a couple who are buying a newbuild apartment in Old Colwyn with a homeloan from Accord Mortgages Ltd.We like our Old Colwyn conveyancing solicitor but Accord Mortgages Ltd says his firm is not listed on their "panel". We have to appoint a Accord Mortgages Ltd panel lawyer or keep our preferred solicitor and fork out for a Accord Mortgages Ltd panel lawyer to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage issued to you contains various provisions, a common one being that solicitors must be on the Accord Mortgages Ltd solicitor panel. Until recently, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find 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. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Accord Mortgages Ltd
I own a 4 bedroom Georgian house in Old Colwyn. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Godiva Mortgages Ltd. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold with the matching property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??
You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Old Colwyn and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the position with the conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.
I have been on the look out for a flat up to £235,500 and identified one near me in Old Colwyn I like with amenity areas and station nearby, however it only has 61 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Old Colwyn in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this.
I am selling my home. My previous lawyers have shut. It would be helpful to have a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Old Colwyn if that makes things easier.
You should use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Old Colwyn. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes smoothly.
My step-father has encouraged me to appoint his lawyers for conveyancing in Old Colwyn. Should I use them?
No doubt the best way to find a conveyancing solicitor is to have referrals from friends or family who have used the conveyancer you're are thinking of instructing.