My husband and I are hoping to purchase a home in Palmers Green and are in fact using a Palmers Green conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Bank of Ireland have this evening contacted us to advise us that they have now hit a problem as our Palmers Green conveyancer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?
When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the bank's conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Palmers Green solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
I am need of leasehold conveyancing for an apartment in a relatively new development (five years built) in Palmers Green. 95% of the flats have already been disposed of. Do I need carry out the neighbourhood searches as part of conveyancing in Palmers Green?
You are opening yourself up to an unnecessary risk in refusing to carrying out Palmers Green conveyancing searches. Without searches you have no clarity over flooding, environmental etc which may mean you walk away due to potential problems down the line. If you are buying without a mortgage there is no legal necessity to have them, but we would strongly advise in no uncertain terms that you have them. If accelerating the process and price are primary issues you should discuss with your lawyer about the possibility of search insurance
When will exchange of contracts take place for sale conveyancing in Palmers Green and do I need to be at the conveyancers branch?
Where you are round the corner to our conveyancing solicitors in Palmers Green you are welcome to attend to sign the paperwork. However, the lender approved solicitors we work with offer a nationwide conveyancing service and provide just as detailed and professional a job for you when communicating with you digitally. The signing of the contract is not the point of no return. A signed contract is necessary for the firm to officially exchange when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a long "chain" is in the mix, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Palmers Green)to be in the office available at the end of the phone to exchange contracts.
My mortgage company has recommended a law firm on their panel based in Palmers Green but I would rather instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Palmers Green local to me. Are you able to assist?
Far from all Palmers Green conveyancing solicitors are on all lender’s conveyancing panel. Do make use of the above search tool to locate a Palmers Green conveyancing firm on the on the lender panel.
Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the process as a first time buyer of a garden flat in Palmers Green. Do I collect the keys to the house on the completion date from my conveyancer? If so, I will use a local conveyancing solicitor in Palmers Green?
On the day of completion you will not be required to attend the conveyancers office in Palmers Green. Your solicitors will transfer the completion advance to the seller's solicitors, and shortly after the monies have arrived, you should be able to collect the keys from the property Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.
Is it the case that all Palmers Green solicitor practices on the TSB conveyancing panel are overseen by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the TSB approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the SRA. Many lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the practice would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
I am selling my apartment. I had a double glazing fitted in March 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Co-operative are being a right pain. The Palmers Green solicitor who is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Co-operative are requiring a building regulation certificate. Why do Co-operative have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Co-operative have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Co-operative may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Palmers Green. Now, I need the files 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 Palmers Green of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.