Is it the case that all Canonbury CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel?

Some major lenders now make use of CQS as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to remain on their panels.

I had a mortgage agreed in principle with Aldermore. Canonbury conveyancing practitioners are selected. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Aldermore?

Some lenders take longer than others. Have Aldermore completed the valuation? Have you advised Aldermore as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.

I have paid off my mortgage with Virgin Money. I assume I don't need a Canonbury solicitor on the Virgin Money panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Virgin Money mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Virgin Money mortgage from the register. Virgin Money, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Virgin Money has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Virgin Money has instructed the Land Registry to do so

The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Virgin Money mortgage has been paid off.

I am buying my first flat in Canonbury benefiting from help to buy. The developers would not move on the price so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of extras instead. The estate agent told me not to tell my conveyancer about this side-deal as it will impact my loan with Accord Mortgages Ltd. Is this normal?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the builder of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on two weeks back in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Canonbury is the location of the property. Can you offer any advice?

Flying freeholds in Canonbury are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Canonbury you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Canonbury 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 property.

We're FTB’s - had an offer accepted, but the estate agent informed us that the owners will only proceed if we use their chosen solicitors as they want an ‘expedited deal’. We would rather use a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Canonbury

It is unlikely the owners are behind this. If they require ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a serious purchaser is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Speak to the owners direct and explain that (a)you are serious buyers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances in place © you are unencumbered (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Canonbury conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn the negotiator at the agency a commission or meet his conveyancing targets set by senior management.

All being well we will complete the disposal of our £400,000 maisonette in Canonbury next Friday. The management company has quoted £372 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Canonbury?

For the majority of leasehold sales in Canonbury conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

Answering pre-exchange questions Where consent is required before sale in Canonbury Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your conveyancer will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Canonbury leasehold property is £350. For Canonbury conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord for a lease extension without any joy. Can a leaseholder make an application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal? Can you recommend a Canonbury conveyancing firm to help?

Where there is a absentee freeholder or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to judgment on the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Canonbury residence is 5C Stoke Newington Road in April 2010. the Tribunal therefore concludes that the premium to be paid for the extended lease is £700.00 This case related to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 80.5 years.