Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Warwickshire is not identified on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of the firm’s work?

It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Warwickshire conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

We are about to exchange contracts for a freehold house in Warwickshire. We encountered a snag. Our mortgage offer with Platform Home Loans Ltd runs out on 7/2/2024 but the vendors are suggesting a completion date of 9/2/2024. Is it possible to extend the loan offer?

The best person to address this issue is your conveyancer who is in a position to determine if they should be discussing with the mortgage company, owner’s representatives, estate agents or conceivably all three taking into account what has gone on in your house move to date.

The Warwickshire conveyancing lawyers that I recently instructed on my purchase in Warwickshire have without warning closed. I only went with them because I had to have a lawyer on the RBS conveyancing panel and my preferred Warwickshire lawyer was not. I issued them a cheque for £250 in advance. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will 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 RBS 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 solicitors should be in a position to help.

How do I locate a Warwickshire solicitor on the Platform Home Loans Ltd conveyancing panel? I have a car and am happy to travel upto 20kilometers to meet the solicitor.

You can use the tool on this page. Please pick a lender and your location and you will see a number of Warwickshire conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Warwickshire conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can telephone them to check if they are on the Platform Home Loans Ltd approved list

I am looking at a two maisonettes in Warwickshire which have in the region of 50 years remaining on the leases. Should I regard a short lease as a deal breaker?

There are no two ways about it. A leasehold flat in Warwickshire is a deteriorating asset as a result of the reducing lease term. The closer the lease gets to its expiry date, the more it adversely affects the marketability of the premises. For most buyers and banks, leases with under eighty years become less and less attractive. On a more positive note, leaseholders can extend their leases by serving a Section 42 Notice. One stipulation is that they must have owned the property for two years (unlike a Section 13 notice for purchasing the freehold, when leaseholders can participate from day one of ownership). When successful, they will have the right to an extension of 90 years to the current term and ground rent is effectively reduced to zero. Before moving forward with a purchase of a property with a short lease term remaining you should talk to a solicitor specialising in lease extensions and leasehold enfranchisement. We are are happy to put you in touch with Warwickshire conveyancing experts who will explain the options available to you during an initial telephone conversation free of charge. A more straightforward and quicker method of extending would be to contact your landlord directly and sound him out on the prospect of extending the lease. They may agree to a smaller lump sum and an increase in the ground rent, but to shorter extension terms in return. You need to ensure that any new terms represent good long-term value compared with the standard benefits of the Section 42 Notice and that onerous clauses are not inserted into any redrafting of the lease.

Warwickshire Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries Prior to Purchasing

Is anyone aware of any major works in the planning that could increase the maintenance costs? How long is the Lease? Is the freehold owned collectively by the tenants?