Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Knutsford is not on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of her work?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Knutsford conveyancing practice and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
We see that you have a search directory identifying firms on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a referral fee if I instruct them for our conveyancing in Knutsford?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Knutsford.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our house are lost. The solicitors who dealt with the conveyancing in Knutsford 4 years ago no longer exist. What are my next steps?
Assuming you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be evidenced by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, find your house and obtain up to date copies of the property title for a small fee. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually retain a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be obtained for a small fee.
I have been on the look out for a leasehold apartment up to £235,500 and found one near me in Knutsford I like with amenity areas and transport links nearby, however it's only got 49 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Knutsford in this price bracket, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake acquiring a short lease?
If you need a home loan the shortness of the lease will be an issue. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the existing proprietor has owned the property for at least 2 years you may request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.
I have been recommended by a number of estate agents in Knutsford to get a quote from a conveyancer using your seach tool. Is there a financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your services over and above another?
We refuse to give any referral fee for pointing buyers and sellers our way. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission because a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
Is it best to appoint a Knutsford conveyancing lawyer who is local to the property I am buying? We have a good friend who can perform the legal work but his firm is located a couple of hundredkilometers drive away.
The primary upside of using a high street Knutsford conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. Having local Knutsford know how is a bonus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and the majority were content that must surpass using an unknown Knutsford conveyancing lawyer just because they are round the corner.