Is the fact that my conveyancer in Bow Street is not on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?

That is most likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Bow Street conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

The sellers of the house we are purchasing have appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Bow Street who has recommended a lock out contract with a deposit two thousand pounds. Are such arrangements appropriate for Bow Street conveyancing transactions?

There are a couple of main downsides with executing a lock out agreement (sometimes referred to as a shut-out contract) is that it takes away the focus from making progress with the conveyancing work, so in the absence of it needing minimal or no negotiation then it may turn out to be unhelpful. It is not strongly advocated amongst Bow Street conveyancing lawyers for this reason. The other main issue is the extent of the remedies available - an aggrieved buyer should not expect to be granted an injunction to prevent the vendor disposing of the property to an alternative purchaser, so the only remedy available under the agreement will be the recovery of wasted charges and, in limited situations, the extra payment of penalties.

My grandmother passed away last year and as sole heir and executor I was left the property in Bow Street. The house had a relatively small loan remaining of approximately £8000. I want to have the title changed into my name whilst I re-mortgage to , pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?

Given you intend to re-mortgage then will insist on your using a conveyancer on the conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.

I opted to have a survey carried out on a property in Bow Street prior to instructing solicitors. I have been told that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. My surveyor advised that some mortgage companies will refuse to grant a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It depends who your proposed lender is. Santander has different requirements from Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can check via the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Bow Street. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in Bow Street especially if they regularly deal with such properties in Bow Street.

I am hoping to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Bow Street. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Bow Street should include some of the following:

Are you allowed to have a pet in the flat? Whether the landlord has obligations to ensure rights of quiet enjoyment over your premises and do you know what it means in practice? The total extent of the premises. This could be the property itself but may include a roof area or storage are if appropriate. Responsibility for maintaining the window frames Where does the liability rest to repair and maintain the block. It is important that you know who is liable for the repair and maintenance of all parts of the block and communal areas

For details of the information to be contained in your report on your leasehold property in Bow Street please enquire of your lawyer in ahead of your conveyancing in Bow Street.

Bow Street Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

Its a good idea to discover as much as you can about the managing agents as they can either make living at the property much simpler or a lot more difficult. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently at the mercy of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to practical matters like the upkeep of the common parts. Ask prospective neighbours what they think of their service. Finally, be sure you discover the dates that the service fees are due to the relevant party and specifically what it includes. Best to be warned whether fixing the lift or some other major work is coming up to be shared by the leaseholders and will materially impact the level of the maintenance fees or necessitate a specific payment. What is the yearly service fee and ground rent?