We are hoping to buy a 1 bedroom apartment in Burton Latimer with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Burton Latimer lawyer, however the bank says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel firms or retain our Burton Latimer solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’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. A further alternative is for your Burton Latimer conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

My son is buying a newly built flat in Burton Latimer with a mortgage from Aldermore. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in receiving the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?

The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the transaction. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Aldermore conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when asked. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Aldermore conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

My Solicitor in Burton Latimer is not listed on the Platform Home Loans Ltd Conveyancing Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my prefered solicitor even though they are not on the Platform Home Loans Ltd list of approved lawyers?

The limited options available to you here include:

1. Carry on with your existing Burton Latimer lawyers but Platform Home Loans Ltd will need to instruct a lawyer on their panel. This will result in additional overall conveyancing fees as well as cause frustration.
2. Get a new practitioner to act in the purchase, not forgetting to check they are Convince your solicitor to use their best endeavours to join the Platform Home Loans Ltd conveyancing panel

Will commercial conveyancing searches reveal proposed roadworks that may impact a commercial site in Burton Latimer?

Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Burton Latimer will perform a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers invest in researching accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Burton Latimer. 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 Burton Latimer.

For every commercial conveyancing transaction in Burton Latimer 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 Burton Latimer commercial conveyancing deals as well as present a risk to future intentions for the site. These searches are not carried out for residential conveyancing in Burton Latimer.

What makes a Burton Latimer lease problematic?

There is nothing unique about leasehold conveyancing in Burton Latimer. Most leases are drafted differently and legal mistakes in the legal wording can result in certain sections are missing. For example, if your lease is missing any of the following, it could be defective:

Service charge per centages that don't add up correctly leaving a shortfall

A defective lease will likely cause issues when trying to sell a property as they can affect a potential buyer’s ability to obtain a mortgage. Lloyds TSB Bank, The Mortgage Works, and Britannia all have very detailed requirements when it comes to what is expected in a lease. Where a lender has been advised by their lawyers that the lease does not cover certain provisions they may refuse to provide security, obliging the purchaser to withdraw.

Burton Latimer Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Examples of Questions you should consider Prior to Purchasing

The prefered form of lease structure is where the freehold interest is in the ownership of the leaseholders. In this situation the lessees benefit from being in charge if their destiny and although a managing agent is frequently employed if the building is larger than a house conversion, the managing agent acts for the leaseholders themselves. Who is in charge of the building? How much is the ground rent and service charge?