My husband and I are hoping to purchase a flat in Dorset and have appointed a Dorset conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Accord Mortgages Ltd have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Dorset solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is usual for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Dorset solicitors, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Can you recommend a Chelsea Building Society accepted Dorset conveyancing practice finish our home move within under 3 weeks? Would it be better to use a local Dorset firm or a national conveyancer?
We would be happy to suggest some excellent Dorset conveyancing firms. You can also walk up the main road in Dorset. Go in to two or three firms and request to speak with a conveyancing solicitor for a fee estimate. Mention your expectations together with your reasons and get a commitment on your deadline. Choose the one that genuine.
Can your site be used to recommend a Conveyancing solicitor in Dorset even if I’m not buying or disposing of a house, for example if I wish to acquire a shop in Dorset with a mortgage from Britannia?
The service is primarily there to find domestic conveyancing solicitors in Dorset but we have listed towards the bottom of this page some Dorset commercial conveyancing firms. You will need to enquire with the company directly to see if they can also act for Britannia
Just acquired a terraced house in Dorset , how long will it take for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing the transfer to my name? My Dorset conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to check that my ownership is recorded.
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Dorset registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timeframes can differ according to the party submitting the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any third parties. At present approximately three quarters of submission are completed within 12 days but some can be subject to extensive hold-ups. Registration occurs once the buyer is living at the premises so an expedited registration is not usually an essential issue but if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers must communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.
How does conveyancing in Dorset differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Dorset approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Dorset usually acquire the site, 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 conveyancers 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 Dorset or who has acted in the same development.
I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in Dorset for my remortgage. Is there any facility to check a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
Anyone may search for presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. For records Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For non-uk callers, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes recorded call for training reasons.