I am not well enough to travel far from Birkenshaw. What is the rationale as to why all Birkenshaw conveyancing practitioners are not on all bank panels?
As inequitable as it may appear for mortgage companies to restrict who can act for them, from the public’s or lawyer’s standpoint, the the contrary view is that banks are increasingly anxious and consider it crucial to defend themselves from illegal activities. As a consequence of this concern mortgage companies have reduced their conveyancing panel to a manageable size.
I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Birkenshaw for our house move. Our broker has since notified us that our mortgage lenders Barclays won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?
A decade ago most banks had a different appetite for risk. Almost all Birkenshaw conveyancing firms would have been on most lender panels. The FSA in 2010 completed a thematic investigation into mortgage fraud which come to the conclusion: know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, lenders are increasingly seeing more data from law firms relating to their operations and the individuals who work for them and establishing certain criteria such a completing on a minimum number of conveyancing. Many Birkenshaw conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have a 100% healthy track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Birkenshaw is amongst the thousands of areas where the conveyancers showing on our search results are members of the panel for Barclays .
I have paid off my mortgage with Skipton. I assume I don't need a Birkenshaw conveyancing practitioner on the Skipton panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Skipton mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Skipton mortgage from the register. Skipton, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Skipton has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Skipton has instructed the Land Registry to do so
I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Birkenshaw on 24/3/2025, valuation was booked 4 days after, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Co-operative and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Are Co-operative entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?
Mortgage companies tend not to not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
HSBC have agreed my mortgage in principle, my bid on a property in Birkenshaw has been agreed to, now what?
Your property agent will need to be advised as to your property lawyer's details (be sure the lawyers are on the bank’s panel). Call up HSBC or the broker and complete any relevant paperwork. HSBC will sellect a valuer who will get in touch with the estate agent or vendor to arrange a slot for the valuation to take place. Once carried out (assuming no problems) it takes about a week to receive the mortgage offer. HSBC will send the offer to you and your lawyers. The legal work will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing in Birkenshaw.
I have been told that property searches are the number one cause of delay in Birkenshaw house deals. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the common causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Searches are not likely to feature in any slowing down conveyancing in Birkenshaw.
About to purchase a new build apartment in Birkenshaw. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build legal work.
Here are examples of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Birkenshaw
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Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared.
I have been advised by a number of selling agents in Birkenshaw to get a quote from a property lawyer using your seach tool. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to offer your lawyers over and above a competitor’s?
We refuse to give any financial incentive for sending work to this site. We thought it would be too underhand a fee as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.