I am hoping to receive a mortgage offer from Halifax. I hope to enlist the help of a Licensed Conveyancer in Lake District. Does the Halifax Solicitor panel include Licensed Conveyancers?
The Halifax approved solicitor list is, like many other lenders, associated to the CML or Building Society Association, open to Licensed Conveyancers regulated by the CLC.
I bought my flat on 11 March and my personal details is yet to be registered. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Lake District said it will be registered in less than a month. Are properties in Lake District particularly slow to register?
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Lake District registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timescales can differ according to who lodges the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry need to notify any 3rd persons or bodies. As of today in the region of three quarters of submission are fully dealt with in less than three weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Historically registration takes place after the buyer is living at the property therefore post completion formalities is not typically an essential issue but where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your conveyancer could communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
Due to the advice of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Lake District before retaining solicitors. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. My surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will not give a loan on such a property.
It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different instructions from Halifax. If you e-mail us we can investigate further with the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Lake District. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Lake District especially if they are accustomed to such properties in Lake District.
Am I right to be concerned that estate agents that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Lake District conveyancing firm?
As is the case with lots of professional services, often suggestions from relatives can be extremely useful or valuable. Yet there are numerous players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, financial adviser and mortgage companies might all put forward conveyancers to use. Sometimes these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there may be a commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to select your preferred lawyer. You need to be aware that some lenders specify a panel list of law firms you are obliged to use for the lender aspect of your home move.
When it comes to my conveyancing in Lake District should I be charged VAT on the following: (1) Land reg fee on purchase (2) Pre - completion search fee (3) SDLT E submission on purchase (4) Bank TT fee
(1) Land reg fee on purchase - No (2) Pre - completion search fees -No, (such conveyancing searches are HMLR ones and means £4 and possibly £2 bankruptcy per name on your mortgage) (3) SDLT E submission on your purchase - There is no VAT on Stamp Duty. However if the firm is charging a stamp duty e-submission fee as part of their services - some Lake District conveyancers do - that will incur VAT(4) Bank transfer fee - Yes it is for the lawyer's time in submitting the funds this way.