I have just been advised by my broker that my Colne property lawyer is not on the bank Solicitor panel. How can I be certain that this is indeed the case?
The first thing you need to do is to call your Colne lawyer directly. It is reasonable to expect your lawyer to advise you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.
Are the BSA intent on creating a search tool with a view to list solicitors on the Darlington Building Society conveyancing panel for example in Colne?
We would not expect to be advised of any plans on the part of the BSA to promote such a register.
I am purchasing a end of terrace house in Colne. We would like to carry out a loft conversion at the house.Will the conveyancing process include investigations to see if these works are permitted?
Your solicitor should check the deeds as conveyancing in Colne can sometimes reveal restrictions in the title documents which restrict categories of works or require the permission of a 3rd party. Some additions call for local authority planning permissions and approval under the building regulations. Many locations are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor ahead of any purchase.
Is it the case that all Colne CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel?
Some major lenders now utilise the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their approved list of firms.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a Colne lawyer having checked that they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
Virgin Money will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Virgin Money will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. Your conveyancing practitioner will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by your Colne postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Virgin Money, you could contact them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors in Colne.
I understand that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to have this when acquiring a property in Colne? or Apparently there is a law dating back centuries that could mean that homeowners residing in a parish church boundary will be compelled to pay for maintenance towards the chancel within the church. Is this a legitimate concern for conveyancing in Colne?
Unless a previous purchase of the property completed post 12 October 2013 you can assume that solicitors carrying out conveyancing in Colne to remain encouraging a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Colne for my home move. Is it possible to see a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?
Anyone may review presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 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 may recorded telephone calls for training purposes.
My 20yr old son is just in the process of moving house, he had his mortgage in principle. After the seller agreed the offer on the flat we called the lender to progress the mortgage application. We were disappointed to learn that banks do not accept all conveyancer, they must be on their panel, is this correct?
Mortgage Companies normally restrict either the type or the number of conveyancing firms on their panel. 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 banks have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any Colne lawyer 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? Unlikely.