Is the fact that my solicitor in Castle Vale is not on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of his work?
That would more than likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer 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 contact the Castle Vale conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Castle Vale. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender HSBC be concerned?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with HSBC your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for HSBC. The CML Handbook sets out minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to HSBC where a lease does not comply with these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not limited to Castle Vale.
I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in Castle Vale. I have a mortgage offer with Aldermore. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Aldermore, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Aldermore conveyancing panel.
About to purchase apartment in Castle Vale. 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 Yorkshire BS 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 Castle Vale conveyancing practitioner is on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel.
What can a local search tell me about the house my wife and I purchasing in Castle Vale?
Castle Vale conveyancing often commences with the applying for local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations such as PSG The local search plays a central part in most Castle Vale conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any nasty surprises after you move into your property. The search will reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject headings.
How does conveyancing in Castle Vale differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Castle Vale come to us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is ready to move into. This is because builders in Castle Vale usually 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Castle Vale or who has acted in the same development.
My father has recommend that I use his conveyancing solicitors in Castle Vale. Should I choose my own solicitor?
No doubt it’s preferable to select a conveyancing solicitor is to have guidance from friends or relatives who have experience in using the firm that you are contemplating using.
My step-son is embarking on her first house purchase, the home loan was agreed last week in principle. When the offer was accepted on flat we rang the mortgage institution to progress the mortgage application. I was disappointed to learn that mortgage lenders do not accept all conveyancer, they have to be on a list, is this correct?
Lenders normally imposes restrictions either the type or the number of conveyancing practices on their approved list of lawyers. A common example of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that lenders have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Castle Vale conveyancing practitioner on their panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, conveyancing is not their speciality. To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime? Presumably not.