Recently been in touch with my conveyancing lawyer in Portland who acted for me 18 months ago asking for a conveyancing estimate based on an identical type of house sale & purchase (a leasehold premises and a freehold premises) of almost identical values with a loan from TSB. It looks as though am now being charged double. Better the devil I know or should I seek out a cheaper internet conveyancer?
The estimate does seem a little on the high side. Where you are happy to expend time comparing costs you might trim some of the cost by say a hundred pounds. On the other hand, providing that you were satisfied with the legal work the firm gave you mightlive to rue opting for an an untested conveyancer. If is important to check the solicitor can act for TSB. You can employ our search tool to locate a Portland conveyancing firm on the TSB member panel, which can often include conveyancing solicitors in Portland.
I am helping my niece sell her house in Portland. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission the EPC or it is for the seller to coordinate?
After the demise of Home Packs, energy performance certificates remained a mandatory part of moving house. An energy performance certificate needs to be commissioned in advance of the property being placed on the market. This is not a task that solicitors normally arrange. Where you are instructing a Portland conveyancing practitioner they might help arrange energy performance certificates due to their contacts with long established local providers
We previously chose conveyancing lawyers based in Portland on the RBS solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a further amount for the legal aspects of the RBS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee specified by RBS?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your conveyancer may charge a fee for this. The charge is not set by RBS but by your Portland property lawyer. Numerous firms on the RBS panel will levy an ‘acting for lender’ fee but many practices incorporate it on their overall fee.
About to purchase apartment in Portland. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the UBS conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Portland lawyer is on the UBS conveyancing panel.
I have been told that property searches are the number one cause of hinderance in Portland conveyancing transactions. Is this right?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released determinations of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the common causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of slowing down conveyancing in Portland.
I used Stirling Law several years past for my conveyancing in Portland. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Portland of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. Portland is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can impart?
Flying freeholds in Portland are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Portland you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Portland may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
We are in the process of purchasing a flat in Portland. Conveyancing is not complete but we would like keep our transaction price confidential from the likes of Rightmove. How do I ensure this is not disclosed?
HMLR as a matter of law required to reveal price paid information on a register of the title for domestic properties nationwide including homes in Portland. The Title Register is a public document, so HMLR would be breaking the law excluded certain homes such as the one in Portland.
In essence you can make a request of HMLR to withhold the price paid data however the answer would be a No.