I was informed today by my financial adviser that my Whitby the law firm I have appointed is not on the mortgage company Conveyancing panel. How can I be certain that this is indeed the case?

The first thing you need to do is to contact your Whitby lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to inform you what has happened. Where they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your bank.

My wife and I are about to exchange buying a house in Whitby but as a result of wreckage from the recent storms I have was able negotiate recompense from the vendor of three thousand pounds taking the form of a reduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process however are not allowing this. Should they have been informed?

Any that is on a approved list is duty bound to disclose to of any changes to the sale price. If you were to refuse your to notify the reduction to then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, and you would have to appoint a new for your conveyancing in Whitby.

We previously appointed solicitors locally in Whitby on the solicitor approved list. They are now charging me a separate fee for the legal aspects of the mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by ?

Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your is entitled to levy a fee for this. The charge is not set by but by your Whitby . Plenty of firms on the panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but plenty of firms include it on their overall fee.

I recently had an offer agreed on an apartment in Whitby. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their . I paid an advanced payment of £200. A few days later, the called me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, are being a right pain. The Whitby solicitor who is on the conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

How does conveyancing in Whitby differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Whitby approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is built. This is because developers in Whitby usually acquire the land, 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 used to new build conveyancing in Whitby or who has acted in the same development.

Whitby Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

The best form of lease arrangement is if the freehold title is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this situation the lessees have being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is usually retained if the building is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. It would be wise to discover as much as you can about the managing agents as they will impact your use and enjoyment of the property. As the proprietor of a leasehold property you are often in the clutches of the managing agents both financially and when it comes to every day issues like the cleanliness of the communal areas. Enquire of other tenants what they think of them. On a final note, investigate as to the dates that the maintenance charges are due to the appropriate party and specifically what you get for your money. Who takes responsibility for maintaining and repairing the building?