My wife and I are hoping to purchase a home in Harrow and are in fact using a Harrow conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Platform Home Loans Ltd have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Harrow lawyer is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Harrow lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.
I have given 2 months notice to my current landlord and have to vacate my rented flat in Harrow by the end of next month. Conveyancing for my house purchase has just started. Can I complete in six weeks as I wish to avoid having to find temporary accommodation?
The normal practice is not to give notice on a rental unless you have exchanged. If you have not previously done so, notify to your solicitor and request that they seek the assistance the owners lawyers, try to an acceptable time-line that all parties will aim towards
It is 10 years ago since I acquired my property in Harrow. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been instructed on the sale but I am unable to find the title documents. Is this a major issue?
You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be kept by the mortgage company or they could stored with the lawyers who handled your purchase. Secondly in most cases the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Harrow involves registered property but in the rare situation where your home is unregistered it is more problematic but is not insurmountable.
I decided to have a survey completed on a property in Harrow ahead of appointing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend refuse to give a mortgage on such a home.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check via the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Harrow. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Harrow to see if the conveyancing costs will increase in light of this.
In my capacity as executor for the will of my uncle I am selling a residence in Monmouth but I am based in Harrow. My lawyer (approximately 300 miles from merequires that I execute a statutory declaration prior to completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Harrow to witness this legal document for me?
Technically speaking you are not likely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally or notary public or qualified solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Harrow based