I am nearing exchange of contracts for my home in Hailsham and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are switching law firm. The excuse is that the bank will only engage with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a big named lender only work with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Hailsham ?
UK lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.
Lending institutions attribute this action to a rise in fraud as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some do not even realise 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 not going to have any impact on this.
My fiance and I wish to acquire a purpose built apartment in Hailsham with a mortgage from Clydesdale.We would like to retain our Hailsham conveyancing lawyer but Clydesdale informed us he's not on their approved list of member firms. It seems we have little choice but to instruct a Clydesdale panel lawyer or keep our local solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Clydesdale use our lawyer?
Unfortunately,no. The loan offered to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that solicitors needs to be on the Clydesdale approved list. Until recently, most banks had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Clydesdale
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with HSBC. Hailsham conveyancing solicitors were instructed. What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from HSBC?
There is no definitive answer here. Have HSBC completed the survey? Have you informed HSBC as to your lawyers' details and checked that your lawyers are on the HSBC conveyancing panel? Sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with TSB. I assume I don't need a Hailsham conveyancer on the TSB panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your TSB mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the TSB mortgage from the register. TSB, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where TSB has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- TSB has instructed the Land Registry to do so
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Hailsham. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I would like to complain about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
Most lenders have complaints procedures. Your first point of contact should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Team at head office. Ordinarily complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
My wife and I are downsizing from our home in Hailsham and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was constructed land that was not decontaminated. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers used a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Hailsham. We have lived in Hailsham for three years we know that this is a non issue. Should we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. What do they say? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same ailment)
How does conveyancing in Hailsham differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Hailsham come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the premises is finished. This is because house builders in Hailsham tend to acquire the real estate, 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Hailsham or who has acted in the same development.
Taking into account that I will soon spend 450k on a garden flat in Hailsham I wish to talk to a conveyancer regarding thehome move in advance of instructing the firm. Can this be arranged?
We could not agree more - we would be pleased to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the conveyancer who will be carrying out your property ownership legalities in Hailsham.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is unique person, not a case reference. The solicitors that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are provided with for your conveyancing in Hailsham should be the figure that you end up paying.