I am in the process of selling my flat in Mile End and the EA has just called to advise that the purchasers are appointing a new property lawyer. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only work with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Mile End ?
UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 25 years.
Mortgage companies point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say 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. Plenty of firms 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. The purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.
It is is a decade since I purchased my house in Mile End. Conveyancing solicitors have recently been retained on the sale but I can't find the deeds. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be with the lender or they may be in the possession of the lawyers who handled your purchase. Secondly in all probability the land will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Mile End involves registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
Is there a search tool that I can use to check that the solicitor carrying out my conveyancing in Mile End is on the lender’sapproved panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for Nationwide Building Society thus paying £175.00 in further legal invoice.
Feel free to make use of the find a conveyancing panel solicitor tool on this site. Please choose the mortgage company and type ‘Mile End’ or your preferred area and you will be presented with numerous solicitors offices in Mile End or near you.
Should our lawyer be raising enquiries regarding flooding as part of the conveyancing in Mile End.
The risk of flooding is if increasing concern for conveyancers dealing with homes in Mile End. Plenty of people will acquire a house in Mile End, completely expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, if a property is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Conveyancers are not qualified to offer advice on flood risk, however there are a numerous checks that can be undertaken by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in Mile End. The standard information supplied to a purchaser’s conveyancer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual inquiry of the vendor to determine whether the property has suffered from flooding. If the premises has been flooded in past and is not disclosed by the owner, then a buyer could issue a legal claim for losses as a result of such an incorrect answer. A purchaser’s lawyers should also commission an enviro report. This should disclose whether there is any known flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be made.
I used Stirling Law a few years past for my conveyancing in Mile End. I now require my papers however the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Mile End of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for sale conveyancing in Mile End. I happened to stumble across a web site which looks to be the ideal answer If it is possible to get all the legals completed via web that would be ideal. Should I be wary? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?