I am not well enough to travel far from South Harrow. Is there a reason why all South Harrow conveyancers aren't automatically on all bank panels?
Before the recession most banks demonstrated an attitude to risk which differs from the current day. The financial regulator in 2010 conducted a thematic review into fraud which in summary warned lenders: know the conveyancing practitioners on your panel. Consequently, banks have since looked to extract more data from law firms concerning their operations and the individuals who work for them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum volume of transactions. Many firms have been excluded from lender panels even though they had 100% healthy disciplinary record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Such firms found it impossible satisfy the criteria of amount of transactions the mortgage companies set.
Can I use your services to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in South Harrow even where I’m not buying or selling a house, for example where I want to acquire a shop in South Harrow with a mortgage from Chelsea Building Society?
The service is predominantly there to help choose domestic conveyancing solicitors in South Harrow but we have set out at the end of this page some South Harrow commercial conveyancing firms. You should speak with the firm directly to check if they are also authorised to represent Chelsea Building Society
My aunt passed away 10 months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in South Harrow. The house had a small mortgage remaining of approximately £8000. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to TSB, pay off the mortgage. Is this allowed?
Given you plan to re-mortgage then TSB will require that you use a conveyancer on the TSB conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your TSB conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the TSB mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
I am assisting my sister sell her house in South Harrow. Will the solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or should I organise this?
After the demise of Home Information Packs, EPC’s remained a mandatory component of selling a house. An EPC needs to be commissioned prior to the property being marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that lawyers ordinarily arrange. Where you are instructing a South Harrow conveyancing practitioner they might be willing to arrange energy assessments given their contacts with long established local energy assessors
When it comes to lenders such as RBS, do South Harrow conveyancing practitioners face a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any mortgage company fees to register on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
Having 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 South Harrow solicitor - who is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Nottingham will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nottingham 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. You may wish to consider appointing your own South Harrow surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in South Harrow I like with a park and transport links nearby, however it's only got 49 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in South Harrow in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error purchasing a short lease?
Should you require a home loan that many years may be a potential deal breaker. Discount the price by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing 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. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.