Me and my partner are buying a 3 bedroom flat in Gravesend with a mortgage. We would like to retain our Gravesend conveyancer, however the lender advise he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel firms or keep our Gravesend as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to act for them. This seems very unfair; can we not demand that the mortgage company use our Gravesend ?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Gravesend conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to visit the offices of the solicitor to execute the mortgage deed? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Gravesend so that I can pop in to their offices if necessary.

Whereas this was necessary ten years ago, almost all mortgage companies no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to supply identification documents and there are still distinct advantages to choosing a locally based practitioner, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in Gravesend.

We are buying a apartment in Gravesend. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we have to deposit funds into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

is it true that all Gravesend conveyancing solicitors on the conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As solicitors, in order to be on the approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Some mortgage companies do list licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such organisation would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

I'm spending time viewing flats in Gravesend and I am about to put in an offer. Should I already have a appointed at this stage? I am planning to take a home loan with .

It would be advisable to instigate your search sooner rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the selling agent. As you are taking out a mortgage with , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the conveyancing panel.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up as part of conveyancing in Gravesend?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Gravesend. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am in need of some leasehold conveyancing in Gravesend. Before diving in I would like to find out the unexpired term of the lease.

Assuming the lease is recorded at the land registry - and most are in Gravesend - then the leasehold title will always include the short particulars of the lease, namely the date; the term; and the original parties. From a conveyancing perspective such details then enable any prospective buyer and lender to confirm that any lease they are looking at is the one relevant to that title. For any other purpose, such as confirming how long the term was granted for and calculating what is left, then the register should be sufficient on it's own.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Gravesend - A selection of Queries before Purchasing

It would be wise to enquire if there is anything that is prohibited in the lease. For example it is very common in Gravesend leases that pets are not allowed in certain buildings in Gravesend. If you like the flatin Gravesend however your cat is not allowed to move with you then you have a very difficult decision. For most Gravesend leaseholds the outlay for major works tend not to be included within maintenance charges, albeit that a few managing agents in Gravesend obliged leaseholders to contribute towards a reserve fund and this is used to offset against larger repairs or maintenance. Are there any major works in the planning that will likely increase the maintenance costs?