My partner and I are intent on acquiring a ground floor flat in Epsom. My Conveyancer is not listed on the lender solicitor panel. Am I still permitted to continue with my Epsom conveyancing solicitor even though they are not on the lender approved list?
You will need to appoint a property lawyer to complete the legal work required if you take out a loan to buy your home. The property lawyer will conduct all the relevant legal checks on the property, make sure that you will be properly registered as the owner and ensure that all the required mortgage documentation is in order. One may instruct a Epsom property lawyer of your choice. However, where the conveyancing practitioner selected is not a member of the mortgage company conveyancing panel supplemental charges will arise as separate legal representation will be required by them. Conveyancing panel applications can be submitted, so where your lawyer has not historically sought membership they should do so.
We're in Epsom, First time buyers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Santander , and our lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Santander conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no solicitor should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
Can you point me to a directory of Co-operative panel solicitors in Epsom on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?
No. There is no such facility on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. A small selection of lenders make their panel listings open the public on the web. If you are seeking to appoint a Epsom conveyancer on the Co-operative please use our tool.
We previously chose conveyancers with offices in Epsom on the Leeds Building Society solicitor panel. They are now charging me an additional fee for dealing with the Leeds Building Society mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Leeds Building Society?
Unfortunately, so long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner can levy a fee for this. This fee is not set by Leeds Building Society but by your Epsom solicitor. Numerous firms on the Leeds Building Society panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
I've digested plenty 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 Epsom solicitor - who is on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Bank of Ireland will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Bank of Ireland 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. Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Epsom postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Epsom.
Are there any apps to assist me to identify a Epsom solicitor on the Accord Mortgages Ltd conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am prepared to travel upto 10miles to meet the lawyer.
Feel free to make use of the search on this website. Please pick a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Epsom conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Epsom conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can call them to check whether they are on the Accord Mortgages Ltd member panel
Is it best to go with a Epsom conveyancing practitioner based in the location that I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can carry out the legal formalities but her office is approximately 350kilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a high street Epsom conveyancing firm is that you can attend the office to sign documents, present your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. Having local Epsom know how is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who instructed your friend and the majority were happy that should trump using an unfamiliar Epsom conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.
I've recently bought a leasehold property in Epsom. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
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. However, 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 be sure 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).
After months of dialogue we simply can't agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Epsom. Can we issue an application to the Residential Property Tribunal Service?
Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Epsom conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension case for a Epsom premises is 33 The Maisonettes Alberta Avenue in June 2014. the Tribunal decided that the premium payable for the grant of a new lease be the sum of £20,680 (Twenty Thousand six hundred and eighty pounds). This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 60.43 years.