Is it the case that all Whitefield CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel?

Some major lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the starting 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 remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.

We had instructed conveyancing lawyers locally in Whitefield on the Co-operative solicitor panel. They are now charging me a supplemental charge for dealing with the Co-operative mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Co-operative?

As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your lawyer can levy a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Co-operative but by your Whitefield property lawyer. Some firms on the Co-operative panel will quote ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but some firms include it on their overall fee.

The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Whitefield. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?

All banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. 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.

I am close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Whitefield and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built land that was not decontaminated. A high street Whitefield lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a web based conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Whitefield. We have lived in Whitefield for many years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same illness)

It has been three months since my purchase conveyancing in Whitefield took place. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £160,000. Why the discrepancy?

The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.

I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for purchase conveyancing in Whitefield. I happened to discover a site which seems to have the ideal solution If there is a chance to get all formalities completed via phone that would be preferable. Should I be wary? 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've recently bought a leasehold flat in Whitefield. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

I am the registered owner of a 2 bed flat in Whitefield, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2003. Can you let me have an estimate of the premium that my landlord can legally expect in return for granting a renewal of my lease? Similar flats in Whitefield with an extended lease are worth £191,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2073

You have 53 years remaining on your lease the likely cost is going to span between £27,600 and £31,800 plus professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before seeking the advice of a professional.