My friend's sister is a solicitor. I am hopeful that I will receive mate’s fee for conveyancing, However if that does not come materialise, what kind of figure should I be paying for conveyancing in Devon?
It’s wise to obtain multiple conveyancing quotes. Make use of our comparison tool on this page. The prices do contrast greatly but service levels do are distinct between solicitors as is the case with most professions.
The vendors of the home we are purchasing have instructed a conveyancing firm in Devon who has insisted on a lock out agreement with a non-refundable deposit 6,000. Are such agreements sensible?
This kind of agreement isn't frequently used in Devon, conveyancers are not keen on them as they detract from focusing on the main conveyancing focus and if you end up losing your deposit then the solicitor at best left with an upset client and at worst a litigious one. Furthermore, there is no assurance that just because the seller has signed an exclusivity agreement they will complete the sale with you. They may be tempted to break the agreement if they are offered sufficient incentive to do so because an aggrieved buyer with the benefit of a exclusivitycontract will still be duty bound to establish consequential losses from the breach and this may not compare to the extra amount that the owner may secure by reneging on the agreement, however morally shameful that may be.
How do I find out if the solicitor carrying out my conveyancing in Devon is on the mortgage lender’sapproved panel? I am looking to avoid the situation of having one lawyer for me and one for TSB thus spending £187.00 plus VAT in another set of conveyancing charges.
Feel free to take advantage of the search tool on this page. Please choose the mortgage company and type ‘Devon’ or your preferred area and you will see a number of lawyer located in Devon or nearest you.
Me and my brother have a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Devon. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Leeds Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching address. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?
You need to assess the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Devon and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also check the position with the conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Devon is where the house is located. What do you suggest?
Flying freeholds in Devon are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Devon you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Devon may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.
Much to my surprise my conveyancing solicitor in Devon has informed me that he requires ID documents asserting that this forms part of his legal duty as a conveyancer on the bank Solicitor panel. Can you confirm whether this is the case?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offence if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage, your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy the mortgage company. This is not unique to conveyancing in Devon