I am progressing with the sale of my apartment in Gloucestershire and the estate agent has just telephoned to warn that the purchasers are swapping conveyancer. The excuse is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named lender only work with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Gloucestershire ?
Lenders have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for over 25 years.
Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason for the cull – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
Can you suggest a Nationwide Building Society accepted Gloucestershire conveyancing lawyer who can have us moved in within under 3 weeks? Would it be better to use a local Gloucestershire practice or a web based firm?
We would be happy to suggest some excellent Gloucestershire conveyancing firms. You can also walk up the main road in Gloucestershire. Go in to two or three law practices and ask to see a conveyancing solicitor for a costs illustration. Explain your time frames together with the reasons and ask for a commitment on your deadline. Select the one that genuine.
Do I need to pay for insurance to address the risk of chancel repairs when purchasing a property in Gloucestershire?
Unless a previous purchase of the premises completed after 12 October 2013 you may expect solicitors handling conveyancing in Gloucestershire to continue to recommend a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Gloucestershire?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Gloucestershire. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
Am I better off to use a Gloucestershire conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can execute the legal work but they are based approximately 350kilometers drive away.
The benefit of a high street Gloucestershire conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and on the whole were content that must surpass using an unfamiliar Gloucestershire conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being based in the area.
My wife and I have recently appointed a conveyancing solicitor in Gloucestershire. I need to find out if they are listed on the bank's approved list of lawyers. Can you advise?
It’s a good idea phone your lawyer to check if they are on the bank's panel. Alternatively please get in touch with us and we can make some checks for you. Should the firm not be on the conveyancing panel we can certainly arrange a reputable conveyancing solicitor in Gloucestershire on the panel for your mortgage company.