We are getting closer to an exchange on a house in Westerham and my mum and dad have sent the exchange deposit to my property lawyer. I am now told that as the deposit has not come from me my lawyer needs to make a notification to my mortgage company. Apparently, in also acting for the mortgage company he must advise them that the balance of the purchase price is coming from anyone other than me. I disclosed to the mortgage company concerning my parents' contribution when I applied for the mortgage, so is it really necessary for this now to delay the deal?

Your conveyancing practitioner is duty bound to clarify with the bank to ensure that they know that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. Your solicitor can only reveal this to your lender if you permit them to, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

What is the difference between a licensed conveyancer and conveyancing solicitor in Westerham

There are many registered licenced Conveyancers in Westerham and Solicitor practices in Westerham who provide Conveyancing services We would stress that both are regulated professionals specialising in the legal aspects of transferring property. They may both also handle associated property related work such as remortgage conveyancing, enfranchisement and transfer of equity conveyancing.

My fiancee and I are in the throws of looking at apartments in Westerham and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it best to have a conveyancing practitioner on ‘stand by’? I will be getting a home loan with Aldermore.

You should start requesting conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on to the selling agent. Given that you are taking out a mortgage with Aldermore, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.

I am due to exchange contracts on my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2010, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, HSBC are being problematic. The Westerham solicitor who is on the HSBC conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but HSBC are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do HSBC have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that HSBC have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why HSBC may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

I moved into my flat on 13 October and the transaction details is not yet on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Westerham advises it would be concluded in a couple of weeks. Are properties in Westerham uniquely lengthy to register?

As far as conveyancing in Westerham is concerned, registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in the country. Rather than based on location, timeframes can vary according to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry must send notices to any 3rd parties. At present in the region of three quarters of submission are fully dealt with within two weeks but some can be subject to protracted delays. Registration occurs once the new owner has moved in to the property therefore 'speed' is not always top priority but where there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your conveyancer should communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

In my capacity as executor for the estate of my grandfather I am selling a property in Newport but live in Westerham. My solicitor (who is 300 miles awayhas requested that I sign a stat dec prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Westerham who can witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily any notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are Westerham based

Back In 2004, I bought a leasehold flat in Westerham. Conveyancing and Nationwide Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. I have received a letter from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1996. The conveyancing solicitor in Westerham who acted for me is not around. Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is contact HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is indeed the registered owner of the freehold reversion. There is no need to instruct a Westerham conveyancing firm to do this as it can be done on-line for less than a fiver. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Westerham - Sample of Queries before Purchasing

This information is useful as a) areas may result in problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where services remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the managing agents you will need to know about it Most Westerham leasehold apartments will incur a service bill for the upkeep of the block set on behalf of the management company. If you acquire the property you will have to pay this amount, normally quarterly throughout the year. This can vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for buildings with lifts and large communal grounds. In all probability there will be a ground rent for you to pay yearly, this is usually not a large figure, say around £25-£75 but you need to check as on occasion it could be many hundreds of pounds. How many years remain on the lease?