Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Marks Gate is not on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s conveyancing?
That is more than likely a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible 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 simply call the Marks Gate conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
I have given 2 months notice to my existing landlord and must be out of my let out apartment in Marks Gate by the end of next month. Conveyancing for my house purchase has just started. Can I complete in three weeks as I wish to avoid having to move into temporary accommodation?
It is unwise to give notice for your lease until your lawyer suggests that you should. If you have not previously done so, contact to your lawyer and request that they cajole the other solicitors, try to get a realistic time scale from them that all parties will work to achieve
The Marks Gate conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my house acquisition in Marks Gate have without warning shut down. I only went with them because I had to have a firm on the Lloyds conveyancing panel and my previous Marks Gate lawyer was not. I sent them a cheque for £250 in advance. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. 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 Lloyds 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 should be in a position to help.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with Barclays. Marks Gate conveyancing lawyers are selected. How long does it take for Barclays to forward the offer to the lawyer?
There is no definitive answer here. Have Barclays done the survey? Have you informed Barclays as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the Barclays conveyancing panel? It is not unusual for a mortgage offer to take a month to come through.
I can not work out if my bank obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Marks Gate bank branch on various occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they will lend. My Marks Gate conveyancing solicitor - who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel- called to say that they would not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
The lawyer must comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook Part 2 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 mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.
I recently had an offer accepted on a house in Marks Gate. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their lawyer. I paid an on account payment of £150. A few days later, the property lawyer called me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Kent Reliance panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I purchased a terraced Georgian property in Marks Gate. Conveyancing lawyer acted for me and Britannia. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are two entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. Is it worth asking Britannia to clarify?
You need to review 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 Marks Gate and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also check the position with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.
How do I search for a Marks Gate solicitor on the HSBC Bank conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am prepared to travel upto 20miles to meet the lawyer.
Feel free to make use of the tool on this website. Please pick a lender and your location and you will see a number of Marks Gate conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Marks Gate conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can call them to check whether they are on the HSBC Bank panel