I can't travel far from Church Village. I would like to know the understand why all Church Village conveyancing practitioners are not on all lender panels?

Before the recession most lenders had an approach to risk which differs from the current day. The financial regulator in 2010 conducted a thematic review into fraud which in summary warned lenders: know the conveyancers on your panel. Accordingly, lenders have subsequently soughtmore data from law firms about their processes and the individuals employed by them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum volume of transactions. Hundreds of firms have been removed from lender panels even though they had 100% healthy track record, no complaints and zero claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms found it impossible meet the minimum volume of transactions the lenders required.

My son-in-law is about to exchange on a new build apartment in Church Village with a home loan from UBS. His solicitor has said that there is a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?

The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the UBS conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the UBS conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

I am purchasing a new build house in Church Village with the aid of help to buy. The builders would not reduce the price so I negotiated 6k of fixtures and fittings instead. The sale representative advised me not inform my conveyancer about the side-deal as it could affect my mortgage with Yorkshire Building Society. Should I keep quiet?.

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.

I was advised by numerous property agents in Church Village to locate a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your lawyers over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?

We don’t give any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.

I've recently bought a leasehold house in Church Village. Am I liable to pay service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part 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).

Church Village Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to buying

The prefered form of lease structure is if the freehold title is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this situation the tenants enjoy being in charge if their destiny and even though a managing agent is frequently employed if it is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent retained by the leaseholders. How much is the yearly service fee and ground rent? Make sure you discover if the the lease includes any adverse restrictions in the lease. For example it is reasonably common in Church Village leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Church Village. If you love the propertyin Church Village however your cat can’t make the move with you then you have a very hard determination.