Is it the case that all St Fagans CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel?

It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to join their panels.

I have paid off my mortgage with Virgin Money. I assume I don't need a St Fagans conveyancer 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

I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in St Fagans. My financial adviser suggested a conveyancer. I paid an upfront payment of £150. A few days later, the lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Aldermore panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

I have recentlybeen informed that Wolstenholmes have been shut down. They conducted my conveyancing in St Fagans for a purchase of a freehold house 18 months ago. How can I establish that my home is in my name in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to see if the property is in your name, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of St Fagans conveyancing specialists.

How does conveyancing in St Fagans differ for new build properties?

Most buyers of new build premises in St Fagans come to us having been asked by the builder to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is finished. This is because builders in St Fagans tend to acquire the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in St Fagans or who has acted in the same development.

I opted to have a survey carried out on a house in St Fagans prior to retaining conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold overhang to the property. My surveyor has said that some lenders will not grant a loan on such a premises.

It varies from the lender to lender. HSBC has different requirements for example to Halifax. Should you wish to call us we can investigate further with the appropriate mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in St Fagans. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in St Fagans especially if they are familiar with such properties in St Fagans.

I've found a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great price which is making it more attractive. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold as opposed to freehold. I am assuming that there are particular concerns purchasing a house with a leasehold title in St Fagans. Conveyancing solicitors have are about to be instructed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in St Fagans are freehold and not leasehold. This is one of the situations where having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in St Fagans in which case you should be shopping around for a St Fagans conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they are used to advising on leasehold houses. As a matter of priority you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want with the house. The lease comes with conditions for example requiring the landlord’spermission to carry out changes to the property. It may be necessary to pay a contribution towards the maintenance of the communal areas where the house is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

St Fagans Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

It is important to be aware whether redecorating or some other significant cost is anticipated to be shared by the tenants and will dramatically impact the level of the maintenance costs or necessitate a specific payment. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Are there any major works on the horizon that could increase the maintenance charges?