My wife and I are hoping to acquire a 3 bedroom apartment in Ilkley with a mortgage. We would like to retain our Ilkley lawyer, however the bank advise she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel solicitors or retain our Ilkley conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. We regard this is unjust; can we not insist that the bank use our Ilkley property lawyer ?

No, not really. Your mortgage offer 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. A further alternative is for your Ilkley conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

What is the first thing I need to know concerning purchase conveyancing in Ilkley?

You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Ilkley or throughout West Yorkshire is an adversarial process. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there is lots of opportunity for conflict between you and others involved in the transaction. E.g., the seller, selling agent and sometimes the mortgage company. Selecting a lawyer for your conveyancing in Ilkley an important selection as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the ONE party in the legal process whose interest is to look after your best interests and to protect you.

There is a distinct increase of a "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process being so protracted. We recommend that you must always trust your lawyer above all other parties in the conveyancing process.

Given that I will soon part with hundreds of thousands of pounds on 3 bedroom house in Ilkley I would like to talk to a solicitor concerning thetransaction prior to giving the go ahead to the firm. Is this something that you can arrange?

Absolutely - we would be delighted to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the conveyancer who will be carrying out your conveyancing in Ilkley.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - each client is unique person, not a file reference. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the figure you are provided with for residential conveyancing in Ilkley should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.

We expect to complete our sale of a £125,000 garden flat in Ilkley in six days. The freeholder has quoted £324 for Landlord’s certificate, insurance certificate and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge such fees for a leasehold conveyance in Ilkley?

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

Completing conveyancing due diligence questions Where consent is required before sale in Ilkley Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Ilkley leasehold property is £350. For Ilkley 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 obliged to supply the information.

Ilkley Conveyancing for Leasehold Flats - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

What prohibitions exist in the Ilkley Lease? Is the freehold owned jointly by the tenants? How many years remain on the lease?

I have today placed an offer on an apartment in Ilkley and the estate agent that we are dealing with suggested his solicitor. He quoted £800 excluding VAT and 3rd party costs. Does this sound expensive?

You should not rely on one estimate. You should seek like-for-like quotes for your conveyancing in Ilkley. Then pick one that you trust and crucially, is on the approved panel of the mortgage company that you are sourcing your mortgage from.