In scouring moneysavingexpert.com for a recommended solicitor in St Bees, most comment that I should instruct a CQS assured lawyer. What is CQS?

St Bees Conveyancing Quality Scheme solicitors have achieved accreditation by the law Society The Law Society established CQS to promote high standards in the in the legal transfer of properties. CQS enables buyers and sellers to identify solicitor firms who provide a quality residential conveyancing. St Bees is one of locations in England and Wales in which CQS are based. The scheme obliges solicitors to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self-certification, random audits and annual reviews in order to maintain CQS status. It is available to solicitors and not licensed conveyancers and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Have just purchased a probate house at auction in St Bees. Conveyancing is needed. What are my next steps?

Now that you have exchanged you must find a conveyancing solicitor quickly as you are facing a tight a drop dead date to complete the conveyancing. Every auction property will ordinarily have a corresponding legal set of papers. This will likely include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. Where you are dealing with leasehold property the legal pack should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing paperwork relating to a leasehold property. You need to pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. You also need to ensure that your finances are in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I can not fathom if my bank requires a lease extension. I have called my St Bees building society branch on numerous occasions and was told it does not affect the mortgage offer and they will lend. My St Bees conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend based on their published requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

Provided that the conveyancer is on the mortgage company panel, they must adhere to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in St Bees. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their solicitor. I paid an upfront payment of £200. A couple of days later, the lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Leeds Building Society 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 Leeds Building Society 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.

Will our conveyancer be raising enquiries about flooding during the conveyancing in St Bees.

Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers dealing with homes in St Bees. There are those who purchase a property in St Bees, completely expectant that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, aside from the physical destruction, where a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.

Conveyancers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous searches that may be carried out by the purchaser or by their solicitors which can give them a better understanding of the risks in St Bees. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the solicitors are adopting what is known as the Conveyancing Protocol) incorporates a standard inquiry of the seller to discover whether the property has ever been flooded. If flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the vendor, then a purchaser could commence a legal claim for losses resulting from an incorrect answer. The purchaser’s conveyancers may also order an enviro report. This should higlight if there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries will need to be initiated.

We are four weeks into a leasehold purchase having been referred to solicitors by the local agent to do our conveyancing in St Bees. I am am extremely disappointed with the level of service. Could you help me find new lawyers?

A solicitor would have to be really poor in order to consider diss instructing them. Has the mortgage been sent? If so you will need to make them aware of the replacement lawyer and have the loan are re-sent. The conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company approved list to avoid supplemental costs and complications. So that should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool should assist you in finding a lender approved lawyer for your conveyancing in St Bees

I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently found out that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in St Bees. Conveyancing advisers have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

The majority of houses in St Bees are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local solicitor used to dealing with such properties who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are purchasing in St Bees in which case you should be shopping around for a St Bees conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to dealing with leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease comes with conditions such as obtaining the freeholder’spermission to conduct alterations. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor will report to you on the legal implications.

St Bees Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Questions you should consider before Purchasing

Make sure you find out if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. By way of example plenty of leases prohibit pets being allowed in in a block in St Bees. If you love the flatin St Bees but your cat is not allowed to live with you then you will be presented with a hard compromise. The answer will be important as a) areas may result in problems for the block as the common areas may start to deteriorate if repairs are not paid for b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will want to have full disclosure Who manages the block?