I am progressing with the sale of my home in Bickley and the estate agent has just called to warn that the purchasers are appointing a new law firm. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only engage with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Bickley ?
Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for many years.
Banks point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
When can the exchange of contracts occur in sale conveyancing in Bickley and am I required to be at the lawyers branch?
Where you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Bickley you are welcome to attend to sign contracts. However, the firms we recommend offer a nationwide conveyancing service and give just as comprehensive and professional a job for you when dealing with you by post or email. The signing of the property agreement is not the critical part. A signed contract simply enables the conveyancer to officially exchange at the appropriate time, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is is usually a five minute process, although where a long "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Bickley)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
My home in Bickley is up for sale and I have accepted an offer. Will the lawyer have to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel in order to deal with the discharge of my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Co-operative conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. It might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their specifications fairly frequently in recent years.
A relative recommended that if I am buying in Bickley I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is usually included in the estimate for your Bickley conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about Bickley around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Bickley Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average Property Price, Crime details, Bickley Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Bickley.
I am downsizing from my house. My previous lawyers closed down. I am in need of a recommendation of a conveyancing firm. I happen to live in Bickley if that makes a difference.
Do use our search tool to help you choose a solicitor for your conveyancing in Bickley. We have connected thousands of home buyers and sellers with lender approved solicitors to ensure that the legalities of their house move goes smoothly.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing lawyer in Bickley for my purchase. Can I check a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
You may search for presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes monitor telephone calls for training purposes.