Is the fact that my conveyancer in Burslem is not listed on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack 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 contact the Burslem conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
We are selling our flat in Burslem. Will the solicitor need to be on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their conditions fairly frequently in recent years.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Burslem?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Burslem. 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've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. Burslem is the location of the property. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Burslem are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Burslem you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Burslem may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.
I am 14 days into a leasehold purchase having been referred to a firm by the high street agent to do our conveyancing in Burslem. I am not happy. Could you you assist me in finding new conveyancers?
A solicitor would have to be very bad to suggest diss instructing them. Has the mortgage offer been sent? If so you need to make them aware of the new contact details and get the loan are re-sent. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the lenders approved list to avoid added expenses and complications. That should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool should help you find a lender approved lawyer for your conveyancing in Burslem