Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Macclesfield is not listed on my lender's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his work?
That would most likely be an incorrect 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) lack 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 Macclesfield conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
The Macclesfield conveyancing firm that I recently instructed on my house acquisition in Macclesfield have without warning shut down. I chose them because I had to have a solicitor on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel and my preferred Macclesfield lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What are my options?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then let them know immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist.
I'm the single beneficiary of my late grandmother’s estate and I have everything in my name alone, including the house in Macclesfield. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in May. I plan to dispose of the property. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', which means that my proprietorship may be treated the same way as though I had purchased the house in May. Do I have to wait 6 months to sell?
The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook instructs solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." By the strict wording you might be impacted by that. Some mortgage companies would take a sensible view as this provision is principally there to pick up on the purchase and immediately sell or the flipping of properties.
is it true that all Macclesfield solicitors on the Principality conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Principality approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Some mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the practice would be regulated by the CLC.
Completion of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Macclesfield. Conveyancing was satisfactory but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Care Team at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service with full details of your complaint.
Should commercial conveyancing searches disclose impending roadworks that may affect a commercial land in Macclesfield?
Many commercial conveyancing solicitors in Macclesfield will conduct a SiteSolutions Highways report as it reduces the time that conveyancers expend in sourcing accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in Macclesfield. The search result sets out definitive data on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in Macclesfield.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in Macclesfield it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. The absence of identifying developments where adoption procedures have not been dealt with adequately can cause delays to Macclesfield commercial conveyancing deals as well as pose a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for domestic conveyancing in Macclesfield.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our property can not be found. The solicitors who handled the conveyancing in Macclesfield 5 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?
Assuming you have a registered title the details of your ownership will be retained by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is easy to perform a search at the Land Registry, locate your house and get up to date copies of the Registered Entries for a small fee. Where the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will also normally hold a file duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for twenty pounds.
How and when do I incur the Stamp Duty Land Tax chargeable for my house transaction in Macclesfield?
The lawyer should complete a stamp duty return for you as part of your Macclesfield purchase transaction for signature. After completion your property lawyer will submit your STL application to the Tax Authorities and - assuming they have the funds - discharge any land tax due on your behalf.