My partner and I swapping mortgage lender for our maisonette in West Bromwich with Bank of Ireland. We have a son 18 who lives with us. Our solicitor has asked us to disclose any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the apartment is repossessed. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this form unique to the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel as he did not need to sign this form when we bought 3 years ago (2) Does our son by signing this extinguish his entitlement to inherit the property?

On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Bank of Ireland. This is solely used to protect Bank of Ireland if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave. It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Bank of Ireland had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

Do I find a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in West Bromwich?

Two types of professional can conduct conveyancing in West Bromwich namely licenced conveyancers or solicitors. The two can provide the legal services that you need to complete the disposal or purchase of property. Both are duty bound to handle West Bromwich conveyancing to the same standards and guidelines so you can be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be professionally carried out and that all necessary procedures will be accurately followed.

Is it the case that all West Bromwich CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Principality conveyancing panel?

A selection of banks and building societies now make use of CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in West Bromwich. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. Who do I contact should I wish to lodge a complaint?

Almost all lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Department at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.

How does conveyancing in West Bromwich differ for newly converted properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in West Bromwich come to us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because new home sellers in West Bromwich usually buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in West Bromwich or who has acted in the same development.

In scouring the web for the words on line conveyancing in West Bromwich it reveals many property lawyerslocally. With so much choice what is the best way to find the suitable conveyancer for purchase transaction?

The preferential method of finding a suitable conveyancer is through a personal testimonial, so ask colleagues and relatives who have bought a property in West Bromwich or the local estate agent or financial adviser. Charges for conveyancing in West Bromwich differ, so it's sensible to obtain a minimum of four fee calculations from different property lawyers. Be sure to seek confirmation that the charges are guaranteed not to escalate.

There are only 68 years left on my flat in West Bromwich. I now wish to get lease extension but my freeholder is missing. What options are available to me?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have done all that could be expected to find the landlord. On the whole an enquiry agent would be useful to try and locate and prepare an expert document to be accepted by the court as evidence that the freeholder is indeed missing. It is advisable to get professional help from a conveyancer both on proving the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing West Bromwich.

West Bromwich Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

Generally speaking the cost for major works are not incorporated into the service charges, although there some managing agents in West Bromwich require leasehold owners to contribute towards a reserve fund created for the specific intention of establishing a fund for larger works. Please inform me if there are any major works in the near future that could increase the service charges?