I am expecting a mortgage with Halifax. My intention is to instruct a Licensed Conveyancer in Dulwich. Does the Halifax Solicitor panel allow for conveyancers regulated by the CLC?

The Halifax conveyancing panel is, like many other lenders, represented by the CML or BSA, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.

At what point does exchange of contracts occur in sale conveyancing in Dulwich and am I required to attend the conveyancers branch?

If you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Dulwich you are welcome to attend to sign contracts. However, the lender approved solicitors we recommend provide a nationwide conveyancing service and give just as detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you electronically. The executing of the purchase agreement is not when everything is set in stone. Signing on the dotted line is just a prerequisite for the conveyancer to officially exchange at the appropriate time, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Dulwich)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

I am planning to acquire a flat and require a conveyancing solicitor in Dulwich who is on the Bank of Scotland solicitor. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a solicitor?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Bank of Scotland in certain locations such as Dulwich. We dont recommend any particular firm.

I am helping my niece sell her house in Dulwich. Will the conveyancer commission an EPC or should I organise this?

After the abolition of HIPs, EPC’s was left as a required part of selling a property. An energy assessment should be commissioned before the property is marketed. It is not a task that conveyancers ordinarily arrange. If you are using a Dulwich conveyancing practitioner they might help arrange EPC’s given their contacts with long established local providers

When it comes to lenders such as Aldermore, do Dulwich solicitors have to pay a yearly amount to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to be on their panel, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel submission.

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Dulwich. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their property lawyer. I paid an upfront payment of £225. Soon after, the property lawyer contacted me embarrassingly acknowledging that they were not on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Barclays panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Last July I purchased a leasehold property in Dulwich. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before my ownership?

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 have tried to negotiate informally with with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal decide on such issues? Can you recommend a Dulwich conveyancing firm to assist?

Most definitely. We can put you in touch with a Dulwich conveyancing firm who can help.

An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Dulwich premises is 60 Taymount Grange Taymount Rise in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the premium at £13,346 for a lease extension of a further 90 years This case related to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 64 years.