I can't travel far from West Yorkshire. Can you please clarify why all West Yorkshire lawyers aren't automatically on all mortgage company panels?
Even though it may seem unfair for banks to restrict who can act for them, from the public’s or lawyer’s perspective, the flip side is that lending institutions are increasingly anxious and feel it necessary to defend themselves against illegal activities. As a consequence of this concern lenders have restricted their panel of approved conveyancing lawyers to a size that they are happy to control.
I can see plenty of information on this site about conveyancing in West Yorkshire but can you isolate your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in West Yorkshire
Do not opt for the cheapest West Yorkshire conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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 know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.
is it true that all West Yorkshire solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As solicitors, in order to be on the RBS conveyancing panel they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Many mortgage companies do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in such a situation the organisation would be overseen by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We were going to get a DIP from Virgin Money this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Virgin Money recommend any West Yorkshire solicitors on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint West Yorkshire solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Virgin Money through the process.
Do commercial conveyancing searches reveal impending roadworks that may affect a commercial site in West Yorkshire?
Its becoming the norm that commercial conveyancing solicitors in West Yorkshire will execute a SiteSolutions Highways report as it dramatically cuts the time that conveyancers invest in researching accurate data on highways that impact buildings and development assets in West Yorkshire. The report sets out definitive information on the adoption status of roads, footpaths and verges, as well as the implication of traffic schemes and the rights of way surrounding a commercial development sites in West Yorkshire.
For each commercial conveyancing transaction in West Yorkshire it is crucial to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. Failure to identify developments where adoption procedures have not been addressed adequately may result in delays to West Yorkshire commercial conveyancing transactions as well as present a risk to future plans for the site. These searches are not conducted for domestic conveyancing in West Yorkshire.
I have recentlybeen informed that Stirling Law have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in West Yorkshire for a purchase of a freehold house 12 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is in my name in the name of the previous owner?
The easiest way to see if the premises is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of West Yorkshire conveyancing specialists.
I have been pointed in your direction by a number of estate agents in West Yorkshire to choose a conveyancer on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers over alternative conveyancing organisations?
We refuse to make any financial incentive for directing people our way. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because home movers will think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
Our conveyancer in West Yorkshire has requested from me personal identification documents saying that this forms part of his obligations as a solicitor on the lender Solicitor panel. Can you confirm whether this is the case?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offence if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage, your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy the bank. This is not unique to conveyancing in West Yorkshire