After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Cambridge. My financial adviser pressured me to appoint their conveyancing practitioner. I paid an upfront payment of £175. Not long after, the solicitor contacted me to say that they were not on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Virgin Money panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in August 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's mortgage company, Virgin Money are being pedantic. The Cambridge solicitor who is on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Virgin Money are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Virgin Money have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?
It is probably the case that Virgin Money have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Virgin Money may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.
Intending to buy a flat in Cambridge. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Building Society if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the TSB conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.
They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Cambridge property lawyer is on the TSB conveyancing panel.
I used Stirling Law a few years ago for my conveyancing in Cambridge. I now require my papers however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing 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 Cambridge of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How does conveyancing in Cambridge differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Cambridge approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is constructed. This is because developers in Cambridge typically acquire the land, 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 Cambridge or who has acted in the same development.
Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a property in Cambridge prior to appointing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold element to the house. My surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend not issue a loan on a flying freehold property.
It depends who your proposed lender is. HSBC has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you contact us we can check with the relevant lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in Cambridge. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.
How do I use the search tool to find a conveyancing lawyer in Cambridge on the authorised to act for my mortgage?
First select a mortgage company such as Barclays , Bank of Scotland or Aldermore then specify your location for example Cambridge. Conveyancing organisations in Cambridge and further afield will then be shown.
I am contemplating choosing a web based conveyancer as opposed to a Cambridge conveyancing practice. Should I ‘stay local’?
There are advantages of having the opportunity to pop in to a local Cambridge conveyancing solicitor for instance
- signing documents and and when necessary
- sometimes being able to see someone face-to-face can make a significant difference, particularly for non-standard transactions
- the ability to complain if matters are not going as expected
When comparing estimates, look out for hidden extras. Most decent Cambridge high street solicitors give an all-inclusive price. Often online companies seem to offer cheap fees, but have hidden 'extras' in the small print.