I am purchasing a ground floor flat in Watford. My Solicitor is not listed on the lender solicitor panel. Can I still retain my Watford conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are not on the bank panel?
You have a couple of options available to you here
- Complete the deal with your chosen Watford conveyancing practitioner but your lender will no doubt retain a conveyancing practitioner from their approved list. The net result is additional charges and probable frustration.
- Get a new solicitor to act in the purchase, making sure they are on the mortgage company conveyancing panel.
- Convince your lawyer to do everything within their powers to get accepted on the mortgage company conveyancing panel
My Conveyancer in Watford is not listed on the Lloyds TSB Bank Solicitor Panel. Can I still retain my family solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the Lloyds TSB Bank panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
The limited options available to you here include:
- Carry on with your existing Watford solicitors but Lloyds TSB Bank will need to retain a solicitor on their panel. This will inevitably rack up the total legal charges as well as cause frustration.
- Choose an alternative practitioner to act in the purchase, not forgetting to check they are Convince your solicitor to do everything within their powers to join the Lloyds TSB Bank conveyancing panel
I am assisting my step-mother sell her property in Watford. Will the conveyancer commission an energy performance certificate or it is for me to see to?
Following the demise of Home Packs, EPC’s was left as a compulsory element of selling a house. An energy performance certificate should be commissioned in advance of the property being placed on the market. This is not as aspect of the sale process that conveyancers ordinarily organise. Where you are using a Watford conveyancing solicitor they may help arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with long established local assessors
We have agreed to purchase a house in Watford. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Principality have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is Principality your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Principality. The CML Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Principality where a lease does not satisfy these requirements. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Watford.
My wife and I are in the process of looking at apartments in Watford and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a property lawyer appointed at this stage? I am planning to take a home loan with Lloyds.
You should start requesting conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the selling agent. Given that you are taking out a mortgage with Lloyds, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for purchase conveyancing in Watford. I happened to land on a site which seems to have the perfect solution If it is possible to get all this stuff completed via phone that would be ideal. Should I be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?
I want to rent out my leasehold apartment in Watford. Conveyancing solicitor who did the purchase is retired - so can't ask him. Do I need to ask my freeholder for their consent?
Your lease governs the relationship between the freeholder and you the leaseholder; in particular, it will indicate if subletting is not allowed, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The rule is that if the lease contains no expres ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Watford do not prevent subletting altogether – such a clause would adversely affect the market value the property. In most cases there is a basic requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the sublease.
Following months of correspondence we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Watford. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
Absolutely. We can put you in touch with a Watford conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Watford property is Flats 8, 11 and 15 Craigmore Court 46 Murray Road in December 2013. The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenant of Flat 8 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,438 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee . The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenants of Flat 11 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,791 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee. The tribunal held that the price payable by the Applicant tenant of Flat 15 to acquire an extended lease shall be £26,638 plus £1 to the intermediate lessee . This case related to 3 flats. The unexpired lease term was 71 years.