I am progressing with the sale of my home in Calcot and the estate agent has just telephoned to say that the purchasers are changing their conveyancer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only work with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a major lender only work with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Calcot ?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms that can act for them, but in the last few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.
Banks point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some 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. Your purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
When does exchange of contracts occur in purchase conveyancing in Calcot and do I need to be at the solicitors office?
Where you are local to our conveyancing solicitors in Calcot you are welcome to attend to sign contracts. That being said, the lender approved solicitors we recommend offer a nationwide conveyancing service and provide as equally comprehensive and professional a job for you when dealing with you digitally. The executing of the contract is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract is just a prerequisite for 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 Calcot)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
We are buying a property in Calcot. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a solicitor? At some point we will need to deposit our life savings into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with HSBC. I assume I don't need a Calcot property lawyer on the HSBC panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your HSBC mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the HSBC mortgage from the register. HSBC, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where HSBC has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- HSBC has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I can not fathom if my mortgage offer requires a lease extension. I have called my Calcot bank branch on numerous occasions and was informed it wasn't a problem and they will lend. My Calcot conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called and was told they would not lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
The solicitor must follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook section two specifications for your bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the bank will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
Me and my brother purchased a terraced Georgian property in Calcot. Conveyancing practitioner acted for me and Lloyds TSB Bank. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to read 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 owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Calcot and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with mortgage companies. You can also check the situation with the conveyancing solicitor who completed the work.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I put an offer in last month in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Calcot is the location of the property. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Calcot are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Calcot you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Calcot may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.
Taking into account that I am about to spend 450k on a property in Calcot I wish to talk to a lawyer concerning thehouse move in advance of appointing the firm. Can this be arranged?
This is something that we recommend - we would be delighted to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you first talking to the solicitor due to be conducting your conveyancing in Calcot.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is unique person, not a matter number. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for residential conveyancing in Calcot should be the amount on the final invoice that you end up paying.