My partner and I are looking to buy a property in Shirehampton and are in fact using a Shirehampton conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Skipton Building Society have this evening contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Shirehampton lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
If you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' lawyers 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 Quality Scheme. Your solicitor 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 lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Shirehampton solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you have another set of people involved.
My wife and I are acquiring a newly constructed flat in Shirehampton and my solicitor is telling me that she has to the bank to reveal incentives from the seller. I am under pressure to exchange contracts and I have no desire to prolong matters. Is my lawyer right?
You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your solicitor. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.
Our mortgage company has suggested solicitors on their panel based in Shirehampton but I would rather instruct a conveyancing lawyer in Shirehampton round the corner to me. Can you assist?
It is by no means the case that all Shirehampton conveyancing solicitors are approved and listed on all lender’s conveyancing panel. Use our search tool to locate a Shirehampton conveyancing solicitor on the on the mortgage company panel.
Should I be wary that estate agents that I am dealing with are recommending an online conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Shirehampton conveyancing firm?
As with many professional services, often referrals from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Nevertheless there are lots of players in a conveyancing deal; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders may recommend solicitors to appoint. On occasion the lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but sometimes there might be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are at liberty to choose your own lawyer. However, bear in mind that some mortgage providers operate an approved list of lawyers you are obliged to use for the lender aspect of your conveyancing.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Shirehampton for my home move. Is there any facility to review a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
One can find published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded telephone calls for training purposes.
I am purchasing a ground floor flat in Shirehampton. Conveyancing solicitor has been waiting for, from the owner, building insurance schedule. I was told today I was informed that the vendor needs to forward the insurance schedule for the flat above also. Why does my conveyancer want to check the insurance for the flat above? Is it really necessary? We have been waiting for the previous month…
It is not impossible in leasehold conveyancing in Shirehampton to find Conveyancing in Shirehampton in a minority of cases reveals that the lease provides for the tenant's to insure their individual flats as opposed to the freeholder insuring the complete property - which is definitely preferable. You should check with your property lawyer but it would seem that your lawyer is attempting to establish that the entire building is insured. Insuring your flat is no help when it comes to rebuilding after a fire if the 1st floor cannot be reinstated as a result of lack of insurance cover.