Can you help? My Beeston solicitor is assuring me that she is duty bound toconduct Beeston conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Nat Westsolicitor panel. These Beeston searches cost a lot of money can this be avoided?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your conveyancing practitioner has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your bank’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook specifications . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Beeston conveyancing searches.

we are a couple who wish to acquire a newbuild flat in Beeston with a homeloan from Birmingham Midshires.We have a Beeston conveyancing lawyer but Birmingham Midshires advised that his firm is not listed on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to instruct a Birmingham Midshires panel lawyer or keep our preferred solicitor and fork out for a Birmingham Midshires panel lawyer to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Birmingham Midshires use our lawyer?

No, not really. The home loan offered to you is subject to its various provisions, one of which will be that conveyancers must be on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Birmingham Midshires

I just acquired a house at auction in Beeston. Conveyancing is necessary. What is next?

Given that you are now exchanged you now have to instruct a conveyancing solicitor quickly as you are facing a pending a drop dead date to complete the purchase. An auction property should have a corresponding auction pack. This will likely include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the legal pack may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork relating to a leasehold property. You should hand this to the conveyancer instructed by you ASAP. You also need to ensure that you have funds in order to complete on the date specified in the contract.

I have paid off my mortgage with Leeds Building Society. I assume I don't need a Beeston conveyancer on the Leeds Building Society panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Leeds Building Society mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Leeds Building Society mortgage from the register. Leeds Building Society, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Leeds Building Society has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Leeds Building Society has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Beeston. I have a mortgage offer with Bank of Ireland. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Bank of Ireland, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel.

Am I better off to go with a Beeston conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am buying? I have an old university friend who can execute the legal work however they are based a couple of hundredkilometers drive away.

The benefit of a high street Beeston conveyancing firm is that you can pop in to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a benefit. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If if people you trust used your friend and on the whole were happy that must surpass using an unknown Beeston conveyancing solicitor just because they are Beeston based.

What makes a Beeston lease defective?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Beeston. All leases are drafted differently and drafting errors can result in certain provisions are wrong. The following missing provisions could result in a defective lease:

A duty to insure the building Repairing obligations to or maintain elements of the property

A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property primarily because it impacts on the ability to obtain a mortgage on the property. Santander, Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, forcing the buyer to pull out.

Beeston Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Queries before buying

What is the yearly service fee and ground rent? The prefered form of lease arrangement is a share of the freehold. In this situation the leaseholders enjoy control and although a managing agent is often employed if it is bigger than a house conversion, the managing agent is directed by the tenants. Please inform me if there are any major works in the planning that will add a premium to the maintenance costs?