Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in South Shields?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in South Shields. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am buying my first flat in South Shields with a loan from Nationwide Building Society. The sellers would not reduce the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The house builders rep advised me not inform my conveyancer about this extras as it would adversely affect my mortgage with the bank. Do I keep my lawyer in the dark?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Should I be concerned by estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use an online conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street South Shields conveyancing firm?

As is the case with many service providers, often recommendations from family and friends can be extremely useful or valuable. Nevertheless there are lots of people with a vested interest in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and banks may suggest conveyancers to retain. On occasion the lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there is an underlying financial incentive behind the endorsement. You are free to select your preferred conveyancer. However, bear in mind that some lenders specify a panel list of lawyers you must use for the lender aspect of your house move.

I need to instruct a conveyancing lawyer in South Shields for my house move. Is it possible to see a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?

One can review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from inquisitions commenced on or after Jan 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may recorded call for training requirements.

I need to change lawyers as my South Shields lawyer is not on the lender's panel of conveyancing solicitors. Is it practical to instruct different lawyers?

In the event that you have not formally appointed a solicitor to start work and at this stage simply received quotes, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in South Shields that you're thinking of instructing.