Having sold my house in Birkenhead last May yet the purchaser is Skype messaging daily to moan that his conveyancer is waiting to hear from myconveyancer. What should my lawyer have done following completion?
Following your disposal your conveyancer should send the transfer documentation and all supplemental paperwork to the purchaser's solicitors. If applicable, your conveyancer should also send confirmation that the legal charge in favour of the lender has been repaid to the purchasers conveyancers. There are no post completion tasks just for conveyancing in Birkenhead.
The Birkenhead conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my purchase in Birkenhead have without warning closed. I only went with them because I had to have a solicitor on the Nottingham conveyancing panel and my preferred Birkenhead lawyer was not. I cut them a cheque for £250 in advance. What are my options?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then let them know straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers should be in a position to assist.
A colleague informed me that in buying a property in Birkenhead there may be various restrictions prohibiting external changes to the property. Is this right?
We are aware of anumerous of properties in Birkenhead which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to carry out external alterations. Part of the conveyancing in Birkenhead should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.
We were going to get a DIP from Aldermore this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Aldermore recommend any Birkenhead solicitors on the Aldermore conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Birkenhead solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Aldermore through the process.
My offer was accepted on an apartment in Birkenhead on 16/4/2025, valuation was booked 3 days after, received a clean bill of health. Conveyancer retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Aldermore and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Aldermore to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Aldermore conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
The deeds to our property are lost. The solicitors who did the conveyancing in Birkenhead 5 years ago no longer exist. What are my next steps?
Assuming the title is registered the information relating to your ownership will be held by HMLR under a Title Number. It is possible to execute a search at the Land Registry, identify your house and order up to date copies of the property title for less than a fiver. If the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will usually hold a certified duplicate of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for twenty pounds.
How does conveyancing in Birkenhead differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Birkenhead approach us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because new home sellers in Birkenhead usually purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Birkenhead or who has acted in the same development.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Birkenhead for my house move. Is there any facility to see a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
You can search for presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations started on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For information Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. International callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded call for training requirements.