Is the fact that my solicitor in Chester le Street is not listed on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of her work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the Chester le Street conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
About to place a bid on a leasehold property in Chester le Street. The selling agents assure me that it is the norm for flats in Chester le Street to have less than 75 years remaining. I am getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland. Will the property be mortgageable given that the lease has 69 years to go.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Bank of Ireland have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 22/1/2026 the requirements read as follows :
I am purchasing my first flat in Chester le Street with a mortgage from Coventry Building Society. The builders refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of additionals instead. The house builders rep suggested that I not inform my solicitor about this extras as it may jeopardize my mortgage with the lender. Is this normal?.
All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.
Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.
Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.
Last August I purchased a leasehold flat in Chester le Street. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
In a situation 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. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. A critical element 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).
I inherited a studio flat in Chester le Street, conveyancing was carried out half a dozen years ago. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Corresponding flats in Chester le Street with over 90 years remaining are worth £260,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2100
With only 74 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £8,600 and £9,800 plus plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs without more comprehensive investigations. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
I am purchasing a flat and cash is in place. My lawyer has been supplied with with 2 distinct evidence of photographic ID, bank statement, multiple utility bills. Now he requires a copy from a probate lawyer advising that the funds are in order and that it has come from inheritance and not via illegitimate means.
For some years now requires conveyancing solicitors as well as banks, building societies and other financial institutes to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of the client. This is because solicitors who deal with money and property on behalf of their clients can be used by criminals wishing to launder money. In order to comply with the law of money laundering, your Chester le Street conveyancing lawyer will need to obtain evidence of your identity as as well as make sure that your funds are legitimate.