Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Bingley is not identified on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of the firm’s work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the Bingley conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
We see that you have a search directory listing firms on the Nationwide conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a referral fee if I instruct them for our conveyancing in Bingley?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Nationwide conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Bingley.
My lawyer in Bingley is not on the National Westminster Bank Approved Panel. Can I still use my prefered solicitor even though they are excluded from the National Westminster Bank approved list?
Your options are as follows:
- Complete the purchase with your preferred Bingley lawyers but National Westminster Bank will need to instruct a lawyer on their panel. This will result in additional total conveyancing charges as well as cause delays.
- Choose a new solicitor to to deal with the conveyancing, obviously checking they are National Westminster Bank approved.
- Persuade your National Westminster Bank solicitor to try to join the National Westminster Bank panel
A relative advised me that where I am buying in Bingley I should carry out 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 Bingley conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and setting out significant information about Bingley around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Bingley Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Bingley.
I was advised by three or four local estate agents in Bingley to choose a solicitor using your seach tool. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your site over another?
We don’t give any financial incentive for pointing buyers and sellers to this site. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
As co-executor for the estate of my father I am selling a house in Monmouth but live in Bingley. My solicitor (who is 250 kilometers from meneeds me to sign a stat dec prior to the transaction finalising. Could you suggest a conveyancing lawyer in Bingley who can witness this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you are unlikely to need to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are located in Bingley