I have just been advised by my lender that my Redfield the law firm I have appointed is not on the mortgage company Solicitor panel. How can I be sure that this is correct?
You need to call your Redfield conveyancer. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.
The Redfield conveyancing firm that I recently instructed on my house acquisition in Redfield have suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I needed a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and my preferred Redfield lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What are my options?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to help.
We are buying a 3 bedroom semi in Redfield. Our aim is to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will legal due diligence on the property involve checks to determine if these alterations are permitted?
Your property lawyer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Redfield will sometimes identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit categories of works or require the permission of a 3rd party. Many additions call for local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. It would be wise to check these issues with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
Can you point me to a directory of Co-operative panel solicitors in Redfield on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
No. There is no such facility on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few lenders make their panel listings open the public online. Where you are seeking to appoint a Redfield solicitor on the Co-operative please use our facility.
I was told three weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Virgin Money. Is it usual for Virgin Money to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Redfield is approved on their conveyancing panel? Virgin Money have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Virgin Money to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
My colleague recommended that if I am purchasing in Redfield I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Redfield conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of about 40 pages, listing and detailing significant information about Redfield around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Redfield Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Redfield.
How does conveyancing in Redfield differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Redfield contact us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because house builders in Redfield typically buy the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Redfield or who has acted in the same development.