I am not well enough to travel far from Sawtry. What is the rationale as to why all Sawtry conveyancers aren't automatically on all bank panels?
Even though it may seem unfair for banks to restrict who can represent them, from the public’s or lawyer’s standpoint, the other side of the coin is that lenders are becoming ever more anxious and feel it necessary to defend themselves from illegal activities. As a result of this concern mortgage companies are limiting their panel of approved conveyancing lawyers to a size that they are happy to control.
I own a freehold residence in Sawtry but nevertheless invoiced for rent, why is this and what is this?
It’s unusual for properties in Sawtry and has limited impact for conveyancing in Sawtry but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.
Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the creation of new rentcharges post 1977.
Old rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a one off payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be extinguished.
I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Sawtry for our home move. Our broker informed us that our mortgage company Accord Mortgages Ltd won't deal with them. Surely this is unfair competition?
Banks on the whole restrict either the category or the number of conveyancing solicitors on their panel. Typical examples of such criteria being that a firm must have two or more partners. As well as restricting the type of firm, a few banks have limited the amount of firms they permit to act for 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 key driver in the reduction of conveyancing panels a few years ago even though there are differing opinions regarding the level of solicitor engagement in some of that fraud. Figures from the Land Registry indicate that plenty of law firms, including some in or near Sawtry only conduct very few conveyances a year.
A friend advised me that where I am buying in Sawtry I should ask my conveyancer to carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
This is a search is usually included in the estimate for your Sawtry conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out important information about Sawtry around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Sawtry Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime statistics, Local Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data about Sawtry.
I used Action Conveyancing a few years past for my conveyancing in Sawtry. I now require my file but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Sawtry of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
As co-executor for the will of my grandmother I am disposing of a residence in Swansea but live in Sawtry. My lawyer (based 300 miles from merequires that I sign a statutory declaration ahead of the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Sawtry to attest and place their company stamp on the document?
Technically speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Sawtry based