My husband and I are purchasing a brand new flat in Caersws and my solicitor is advising me that she has to the bank to reveal incentives from the developer. I am nearing the developer’s deadline to exchange contracts and I would rather not delay deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your conveyancer. A precondition to being on a mortgage company panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The UK Finance Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Is it correct that all Caersws CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel?
Some major lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.
I am expecting a DIP from RBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Caersws solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?
You will need to appoint Caersws solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.
I've read lots of house buying guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Caersws solicitor - who is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Yorkshire BS will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Yorkshire BS will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Caersws surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
My wife and I are downsizing from our house in Caersws and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. A high street Caersws conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers are using an online conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Caersws. We have lived in Caersws for six years we know of no issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You must 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 health insurance to cover that same ailment)
I used Wolstenholmes a few years past for my conveyancing in Caersws. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Caersws of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a flat up to £305k and identified one close by in Caersws I like with a park and railway links in the vicinity, however it's only got 61 remaining years left on the lease. There is not much else in Caersws suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?
Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Discount the price by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this matter.
My step-father has suggested that I use his conveyancers in Caersws. Do I take his advice?
No doubt the ideal way to find a conveyancing practitioner is to get referrals from friends or family who have used the conveyancer that you are are thinking of instructing.