Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in West Yorkshire is not listed on my lender's solicitor 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 indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume 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 contact the West Yorkshire conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
We were just about to exchange contracts for a leasehold flat in West Yorkshire. We have hit a snag. The loan offer with Barclays expires on 7/11/2025 but the vendors are suggesting a completion date of 11/11/2025. Is it possible to prolong the loan offer?
The best person to address this question is your lawyer who is in a position to determine if he or she is should be discussing with the bank, vendor’s solicitors, selling agents or possibly all parties based on the history of your house move to date.
Please explain the implications if my lawyer’s firm is expelled from the RBS Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in West Yorkshire?
First, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
I'm the single beneficiary of my late father’s will with all property in now in my sole name, including the house in West Yorkshire. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in August. I plan to dispose of the property. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship will be regarded the same way as though I had purchased the property in August. Will no one buy the property for half a year?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you could be impacted by that. many banks would take a practical view as this clause primarily exists to identify subsales or the quick reselling of properties.
Can you point me to a directory of Skipton panel solicitors in West Yorkshire on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
No. There is no such facility on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of lenders make their panel listings viewable online. If you are seeking to appoint a West Yorkshire conveyancer on the Skipton please make the most of our tool.
My husband and I are in the process of viewing apartments in West Yorkshire and I am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I will be getting a mortgage with Nationwide.
You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the estate agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with Nationwide, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Nationwide conveyancing panel.
I am looking for a ground for flat up to £305k and found one close by in West Yorkshire I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years on the lease. There is not much else in West Yorkshire for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
If you need a mortgage that many years will likely be an issue. Reduce the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.