What is the first thing I need to know regarding purchase conveyancing in Stourbridge?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Stourbridge and elsewhere in England and Wales is an adversarial process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of room for friction between you and other parties involved in the legal transfer of property. For example, the seller, selling agent and even potentially your bank. Appointing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Stourbridge should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the transaction whose responsibility is to look after your best interests and to protect you.

We are witnessing a definite emergence of a "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process taking so long. You your first instinct should be to trust your solicitor ahead of the other players in the home moving process.

We're in Stourbridge, First time buyers buying with a mortgage (lender is Bank of Ireland , and our lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?

The fact that your lawyer is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no property lawyer should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.

In scouring the world wide web for the phrase conveyancing in Stourbridge it shows results of many conveyancersin the vicinity. How do I determine which is the right property lawyer for purchase transaction?

The best way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is via personal recommendation, so enquire of colleagues and those you trust who have bought a property in Stourbridge or a respected estate agent or financial adviser. Costs for conveyancing in Stourbridge vary, so it's sensible to request at least three fee calculations from different conveyancers. Be sure to seek confirmation that the fees are fixed.

All being well we will complete the sale of our £475,000 maisonette in Stourbridge in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £408 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Stourbridge?

Stourbridge conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes more often than not requires the purchaser’s lawyer sending enquiries for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries the majority will be willing to assist. They may invoice a reasonable charge for responding to questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is over three hundred pounds, in some situations it is above £800. The administration charge invoiced by the landlord must be sent together with a synopsis of rights and obligations in relation to administration fees, otherwise the invoice is technically not due. In reality you have no option but to pay whatever is demanded if you want to exchange contracts with the buyer.

I purchased a 1st floor flat in Stourbridge, conveyancing was carried out June 2002. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Equivalent flats in Stourbridge with an extended lease are worth £201,000. The ground rent is £45 invoiced every year. The lease terminates on 21st October 2086

You have 64 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £15,200 and £17,600 plus costs.

The suggested premium range above a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.

My 20yr old son is embarking on her first house purchase, he had his mortgage in principle. When the offer was accepted on apartment we telephoned the lender to progress the mortgage application. We were shocked to hear that mortgage companies do not accept all solicitor, they need to be on their approved list, is this right?

Banks normally restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing practices on their panel. Typical examples 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 banks have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Stourbridge 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? Unlikely.