What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Lowestoft? Is this really necessary?
Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require solicitors and licensed conveyancers to check the identity of the person or body they are dealing with prior to agreeing to accepting their conveyancing retainer. The Terms of Engagement that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with the CML Lenders Handbook requirements last updated on 1st December 2014. Should you are unwilling to provide identification documents, your lawyer will not be able to take you on as a client.
My partner and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Lowestoft and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. Any high street Lowestoft conveyancer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a factory type conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Lowestoft. We have lived in Lowestoft for six years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to get confirmation that there is no issue.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same illness)
The deeds to my house can not be found. The lawyers who handled the conveyancing in Lowestoft 10 years ago no longer exist. What do I do?
Assuming the title is registered the details of your ownership will be recorded by HMLR under a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, identify your house and get up to date copies of the property title for less than a fiver. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for a small fee.
Over the last few months I have been searching for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one near me in Lowestoft I like with open areas and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. There is not much else in Lowestoft for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?
If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be problematic. Discount the offer by the anticipated lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor regarding this.
What tools are available to identify a Lowestoft law firm on the Bank of Scotland conveyancing panel? I have a car and am willing to travel upto 20miles to meet the lawyer.
You can use the tool on this page. Please select a mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Lowestoft conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Lowestoft conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can ring them to check whether they are on the Bank of Scotland panel