I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Whittlesey for our home move. Our broker has since advised us that our mortgage company Accord Mortgages Ltd won't deal with them. Surely this is unfair competition?
Lenders normally restrict either the category or the number of conveyancing solicitors on their panel. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. As well as restricting the profile of firm, a few lenders have limited the amount of solicitor practices they use to represent them. Be aware that Accord Mortgages Ltd have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Accord Mortgages Ltd Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a primary driver in the reduction of conveyancing panels since 2008 even though there remains differing opinions regarding the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that plenty of law firms, including some in or near Whittlesey only conduct one or two conveyances per annum.
My conveyancer has informed me that flying freehold insurance is required on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Whittlesey?
The right level of flying freehold indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Birmingham Midshires and Coventry Building Society. Conveyancing practitioners as opposed to members of the public take out such insurances.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Whittlesey. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Leeds Building Society be concerned?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Leeds Building Society your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing requirements outlined in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Leeds Building Society. The CML Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Leeds Building Society where a lease does not comply with these provisions. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Whittlesey.
My sealed bid on a detached house in Whittlesey has been agreed to, the owners do however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have offered on somewhere, however it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other properties in the pipeline. I have chosen a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Whittlesey. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage application with Principality going?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Whittlesey conveyancing search fees, etc). The first course of action is to check that your conveyancer is on the Principality approved list. As to the subsequent steps this very much dictated by the specifics of your transaction, desire for this property and on the state of the market. During a buoyant market the majority of home buyers would apply for the mortgage with Principality and arrange for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they pay their lawyer to move forward with searches.
My wife and I own a semi-detached Georgian house in Whittlesey. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Birmingham Midshires. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same property. Is it worth asking Birmingham Midshires to clarify?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Whittlesey and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.
Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Whittlesey before appointing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor advised that some lenders tend refuse to grant a loan on this type of premises.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Whittlesey. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Whittlesey to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in Whittlesey for my remortgage. Is it possible to check a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
One can review published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions started on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA could monitor telephone calls for training reasons.