My partner and I are hoping to acquire a property in Stone Cross and have instructed a Stone Cross conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our property lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with the expectation that exchange is imminent. HSBC Bank have this evening contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Stone Cross lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?
If you are buying a property with the assistance of a mortgage it is standard for the purchasers' lawyers to also represent 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 solicitor should contact your bank 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 as you are at liberty to use your preferred Stone Cross lawyers, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Having sold my house in Stone Cross last May but my buyer keeps telephoning daily to moan that his conveyancer needs to hear from myconveyancer. What should have happened following completion?
Following your disposal your lawyer is committed to forward the transfer deeds and all supplemental paperwork to the buyer’s conveyancer. Where appropriate, your conveyancer should also evidence that the mortgage has been discharged to the purchasers conveyancers. There are no post completion formalities peculiar conveyancing in Stone Cross.
There are numerous conveyancing solicitors in Stone Cross but how do I know who I should use?
Do not opt for the lowest Stone Cross conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
My wife and I purchasing a 3 bedroom semi in Stone Cross. The intention is to carry out a loft conversion at the property.Will the conveyancing process include enquiries to determine if these works were previously refused?
Your solicitor should review the deeds as conveyancing in Stone Cross will occasionally identify restrictions in the title documents which restrict categories of alterations or need the permission of a 3rd party. Some extensions need local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
Is it the case that all Stone Cross CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the UBS conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.
My friend suggested that if I am purchasing in Stone Cross I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
This is a search is sometimes included in the estimate for your Stone Cross conveyancing searches. It is not a small report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing significant information about Stone Cross around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Stone Cross Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information about Stone Cross.
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Stone Cross. I now require my papers but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 Stone Cross 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.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, chain free conveyancing. Stone Cross is the location of the property. Can you shed any light on this issue?
Flying freeholds in Stone Cross are unusual but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Stone Cross 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 Stone Cross may decide 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 premises.