Are the Kensington conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by ?

Kensington conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from directly.

Can you clarify what the consequences are if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Kensington?

First, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.

Do commercial conveyancing searches disclose impending roadworks that could affect a commercial estate in Kensington?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Kensington will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Kensington. The search result sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Kensington.

For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Kensington it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately may result in delays to Kensington commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not ordered for domestic conveyancing in Kensington.

I have been pointed in your direction by numerous estate agents in Kensington to select a property lawyer using your seach tool. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to market your site over and above alternative conveyancing organisations?

We refuse to offer any referral fee for sending work to this site. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because members of the public would think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.

Kensington Leasehold Conveyancing - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

For many Kensington leaseholds the cost for major works tend not to be included within service charges, although some managing agents in Kensington ask leaseholders to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against major repairs or maintenance. If a Kensington lease has no more than eighty years it will impact the value of the flat. Check with your lender that they are happy with residual term of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely need a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth finding out how much this will be. For most Kensingtonlease extensions you will be required to have owned the premises for a couple of years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. Who are the managing agents?