I am in the process of selling my ground floor flat in Derby and the EA has just called to say that the buyers are swapping solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major mortgage company only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Derby ?
Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.
Lenders point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been narrowed 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 hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that 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 impact on this.
Can I use your services to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in Derby even if I’m not purchasing or disposing of a house, for example if I wish to acquire an office in Derby with a mortgage from Aldermore?
Our comparison service is primarily there to select residential conveyancing solicitors in Derby but we have recorded at the bottom of this page a selection of Derby commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to make contact with the company directly to check if they are also authorised to represent Aldermore
I am purchasing a semi-detached house in Derby. Can I do my own conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing in Derby you will have to appoint a solicitor on your bank's conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to be made in you doing conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on your lender panel in Derby.
I am helping my step-mother sell her property in Derby. Does the solicitor arrange an energy performance certificate or do I organise this?
After the abolition of HIPs, energy assessments remained a compulsory component of moving house. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned before the property is advertised. It is not something that conveyancers normally organise. If you are instructing a Derby conveyancing solicitor they may be able to arrange energy performance certificates given their contacts with long established local energy assessors
When it comes to lenders such as Lloyds, do Derby lawyers have to pay a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are not aware of any lender fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Santander. Derby conveyancing practitioners have been instructed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from Santander?
There is no definitive answer here. Have Santander conducted the survey? Have you informed Santander as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Santander conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
What does commercial conveyancing in Derby cover?
Commercial conveyancing in Derby covers a broad array of guidance, provided by qualified solicitors, relating to business property. By way of example, this area of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the transfer of existing leases or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.
How much experience do your Derby conveyancing solicitors have with Help To Buy, Shared Equity and similar schemes?
Derby conveyancing lawyers help thousands of buyers move home every year and assisted lots of clients through the Help To Buy scheme. The chances are that whatever makes your case unique Derby conveyancers have worked on recent similar matters.