Is the fact that my solicitor in Bristol is not identified on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of her conveyancing?
That would more than likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should contact the Bristol conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
I am about to exchange on the purchase of a property in Bristol but as a result of wreckage from some water damage at the property I have managed to agree recompense from the current proprietors in the sum of three thousand pounds taking the form of a deduction in the price. I had intended this to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process however Principality are not allowing this. Why were they approached?
Your property lawyer being on a Principality approved list is obliged to disclose to Principality of any changes to the sale price. If you prohibit your solicitor to report the reduction to Principality then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, Principality and you would have to appoint a new solicitor for your conveyancing in Bristol.
It is a dozen years since I bought my property in Bristol. Conveyancing solicitors have just been appointed on the sale but I can't track down my title documents. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. First the deeds may be retained by your mortgage company or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who handled the purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring up to date copy of the land registers. Nearly all conveyancing in Bristol involves registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is unregistered it is more tricky but is resolvable.
How do I discover of the solicitor handling my conveyancing in Bristol is on the lender’sapproved panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for Coventry Building Society thus paying £192.00 in supplemental conveyancing fees.
You should make the most of the search tool on this page. Please choose the mortgage company and type ‘Bristol’ or your preferred area and you will be presented with numerous solicitors based in Bristol or nearest you.
I just bought a property at auction in Bristol. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?
Given that you have now legally committed yourself to purchase you will need to find a conveyancing solicitor soon as you will have a fast approaching deadline in which to complete the purchase. All auction property should have a corresponding auction pack. This will include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. In the case of leasehold property the auction papers should provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation pertinent to leasehold premises. You should hand this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that your finances are organised to complete on the date specified in the contract.
Are all Bristol Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Lloyds conveyancing list of approved firms?
A selection of banks and building societies now utilise CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
We had chosen conveyancing lawyers with offices in Bristol on the Skipton solicitor approved list. They have just invoiced me an additional amount for handling the Skipton mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Skipton?
Provided it is contained in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your conveyancer can charge a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by Skipton but by your Bristol solicitor. Numerous firms on the Skipton panel will levy ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.
Various internet forums that I have visited warn that are a common reason for stalling in Bristol house deals. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the most frequent causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are not likely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Bristol.