It has come to my attention via my financial adviser that my Harrow property lawyer is not on the lender Solicitor panel. How can I be certain whether this is indeed the case?
You need to call your Harrow conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your lender.
We note that you have a search directory identifying solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a referral fee if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Harrow?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Harrow.
We had selected solicitors located in Harrow on the Kent Reliance solicitor panel. They have just billed me a separate sum for dealing with the Kent Reliance mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Kent Reliance?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your lawyer is entitled to levy a fee for this. This charge is not dictated by Kent Reliance but by your Harrow conveyancer. Some firms on the Kent Reliance panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
I am buying a property in Harrow. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. RBS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with RBS your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing requirements outlined in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS. The CML Handbook contains minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to RBS where a lease does not satisfy these requirements. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Harrow.
Having digested plenty of mortgage guides, I note that it is considered advisable to get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Harrow solicitor - who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
Lloyds will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Lloyds 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 property 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 Harrow postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Lloyds, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Harrow.
My colleague suggested that where I am purchasing in Harrow I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Harrow conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out important information about Harrow around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Harrow Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Harrow.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in two weeks back in what was supposed to be a straight forward, chain free conveyancing. Harrow is the location of the property. Can you offer any guidance?
Flying freeholds in Harrow are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Harrow you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Harrow may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
Do online conveyancing organisations do everything a high street Harrow solicitor does or must I use a solicitor for the final stages for my conveyancing in Harrow?
Where you instruct an online conveyancer they should undertake all the things your Harrow conveyancer would cover.