Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from Tonteg. Is there a reason why all Tonteg solicitors are not on all mortgage company panels?

Banks normally impose restrictions on either the nature or volume of conveyancing firms on their approved list of lawyers. Frequent examples of such criteria being that a organisation must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to reduce the size of their panel they use to represent them. You should note that banks have no liability for the quality of service provided by any Tonteg conveyancer on their panel. Mortgage fraud was the primary trigger for the culling of conveyancing panels in the last decade even though there are differing opinions concerning whether solicitors sat at the center of that fraud. Statistics via HM Land Registry indicates that thousands of law firms only transact a couple of conveyances annually. Those vindicating conveyancing panel cuts ask why conveyancing firms should have claim to be on a conveyancing panel when clearly conveyancing is not their primary expertise?

As someone not used to conveyancing in Tonteg what is your top tip you can impart for the legal transfer of property in Tonteg

Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Tonteg or throughout Abercynon is often a confrontational experience. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is lots of opportunity for conflict between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. E.g., the vendor, property agent and sometimes your lender. Appointing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Tonteg is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONLY person in the legal process whose role it is to act in your legal interests and to keep you safe.

We are witnessing a definite ongoing adversarial element to conveyancing- someone has to be at fault for the process taking so long. You your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer ahead of all other players when it comes to the legal transfer of property.

What is your number one tip for finding a conveyancing solicitor in Tonteg

Do not opt for the lowest Tonteg conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.

We previously instructed conveyancing lawyers located in Tonteg on the RBS solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me an additional sum for the legal aspects of the RBS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by RBS?

Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancing practitioner can levy a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by RBS but by your Tonteg conveyancing practitioner. Numerous firms on the RBS panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.

I am buying a property in Tonteg. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Coventry BS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

As your lender is Coventry BS your lawyer must follow the formal instructions outlined in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Coventry BS. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Coventry BS where a lease fails to comply with these conditions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not limited to Tonteg.

Do commercial conveyancing searches reveal planned roadworks that could impact a commercial estate in Tonteg?

Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in Tonteg will order a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Tonteg. The report sets out definitive information 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 Tonteg.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Tonteg it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately can cause delays to Tonteg commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for domestic conveyancing in Tonteg.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Tonteg. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

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. 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).

I acquired a studio flat in Tonteg, conveyancing having been completed in 1998. Can you please calculate a probable premium for a statutory lease extension? Equivalent properties in Tonteg with an extended lease are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 levied per year. The lease expires on 21st October 2091

You have 66 years unexpired we estimate the price of your lease extension to range between £11,400 and £13,200 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional concerns that need to be taken into account and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward based on this information without first getting professional advice.