Please help. My Freshford lawyer is advising me that she is duty bound toconduct Freshford conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the HSBCapproved lawyer panel. Do I not have a choice here?
You have limited options available to you. As you are taking a mortgage with a lender your conveyancing practitioner has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancing practitioner would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook requirements . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Freshford conveyancing searches.
In what way does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Freshford? What am I being asked for?
It is indeed that case that these requests have nothing to do with conveyancing in Freshford. Nowadays you will not be able to complete any conveyancing transaction if you have not supplying proof of your identity. Ordinarily this takes the form of a either your passport or driving licence and a council tax bill. Remember if you are providing your driving licence as proof of ID it needs to be both the paper part and photo card part, one is not satisfactory in the absence of the other.
Evidence of the origin of monies is necessary in accordance with the Money Laundering Regulations. You should not be offended when you are asked to produce this as your lawyer will need to retain this information on record. Your Freshford conveyancing solicitor will need to see evidence of proof of funds prior to accepting any monies from you into their client account and they will also ask additional questions regarding the source of funds.
I have recentlybeen informed that Action Conveyancing have been shut down. They carried out my conveyancing in Freshford for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I check that my home is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The easiest way to check if the premises 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 Freshford conveyancing specialists.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and identified one round the corner in Freshford I like with amenity areas and station nearby, the downside is that it's only got 52 remaining years left on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Freshford for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a short lease?
Should you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will likely be a potential deal breaker. Discount the offer by the expected lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the current owner has owned the property for a minimum of twenty four months you could ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease with a zero ground rent applied. You should consult your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Freshford for my remortgage. Can I see a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
You can search for published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.
Living abroad it is not practicable to attend my Freshford conveyancing practitioners office to sign documents connected to my conveyancing in Freshford – is this a problem?
Not a problem. Freshford conveyancing lawyers can undertake home moves for clients from a distance. You are unlikely to be required to meet your lawyer in the flesh at a Freshford conveyancers office. Almost all solicitor can undertake all communications remotely from their Freshford premises.