Me and my fiance are purchasing a 1 bedroom flat in The Park with a mortgage. We have a The Park solicitor, but the bank says she’s not on their "panel". It seems we have little choice but to appoint one of the bank panel conveyancing practices or keep our The Park solicitor as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you 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. Another option that might be available is for your The Park conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
I need some expedited conveyancing in The Park as I have pressure to complete in less than one month. A mortgage is not required. Is it possible to escape the need for conveyancing searches to save fees and time?
If.Given you are not getting a mortgage you are at free not to have searches conducted although no law firm would recommend that you don't. Drawing on our experience of conveyancing in The Park the following are examples of issues that can crop up and adversely impact market value: Enforcement Actions, Overdue Fees, Outstanding Grants, Railway Schemes,...
I purchased a renovated Georgian property in The Park. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Aldermore. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You should assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in The Park and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the work.
What does commercial conveyancing in The Park cover?
The Park conveyancing for business premises covers a wide range of guidance, offered by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the transfer of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of tenancies.
Is it best to go with a The Park conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am hoping to buy? I have an old university friend who can perform the conveyancing however his firm is located 300kilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a local The Park conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to execute documents, present your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and they were content that should trump using an unknown The Park conveyancing lawyer just because they are round the corner.