Souldretaining a Snaresbrook conveyancing practitioner make the legal process smoother?

Generally conveyancing solicitors in your area will benefit from excellent alliances with your local authority, which could assist with the Snaresbrook conveyancing searches that your conveyancer will need to carry out. It can only be a plus if they have good relationships with the Land Registry covering your area Snaresbrook, other conveyancers in the location and Snaresbrook Estate Agents.

Have just purchased a repossessed house at auction in Snaresbrook. Conveyancing is necessary. What happens now?

Given that you are now legally bound yourself to purchase you should choose a conveyancing lawyer as a matter of priority as you are facing a tight a drop dead date to complete the conveyancing. All auction property should have a bespoke auction set of papers. This will likely include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. If you have purchased leasehold premises the conveyancing pack should include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and associated conveyancing paperwork specific to a leasehold property. You should pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. You also need to ensure that that you have the requisite funding organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Leeds Building Society. I assume I don't need a Snaresbrook lawyer on the Leeds Building Society panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Leeds Building Society mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Leeds Building Society mortgage from the register. Leeds Building Society, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Leeds Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Leeds Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I've digested plenty of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Snaresbrook solicitor - who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?

Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Snaresbrook postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Snaresbrook.

I am buying a new build apartment in Snaresbrook. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Snaresbrook

Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. The Vendor must covenant to keep unoccupied units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared.

I am looking for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one round the corner in Snaresbrook I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it only has 49 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Snaresbrook for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?

If you require a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer concerning this.

My step-son is embarking on her first house purchase, he had his mortgage in principle. One the offer was accepted on apartment we telephoned the lender to issue the formal offer. I was disappointed to hear that mortgage companies do not accept all conveyancing practitioner, they have to be on a list, is this right?

Lenders ordinarily restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing practices on their panel. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that lenders have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Snaresbrook solicitor on their panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, conveyancing is not their speciality. To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime? Probably not.