Is the fact that my conveyancer in Heaton and Jesmond is not listed on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?
That is most likely a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the Heaton and Jesmond conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
Me and my partner are due to complete buying a house in Heaton and Jesmond but as a consequence of wreckage from the recent storms I have was able negotiate recompense from the vendor of three thousand pounds in the form of a deduction in the price. This was going to be addressed as part of a side agreement yet RBS are not allowing this. Why were they involved?
Any property lawyer being on the RBS conveyancing panel is required to disclose to RBS of any changes to the sale price. If you were to refuse your property lawyer to disclose the price change to RBS then they would have to discontinue acting for you. In addition, RBS and you would have to appoint a new lawyer for your conveyancing in Heaton and Jesmond.
We note that you have a post code search directory identifying law firms on the Skipton conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Heaton and Jesmond?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Skipton conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Heaton and Jesmond.
When it comes to mortgage companies such as Barclays, do Heaton and Jesmond lawyers incur a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to register on their panel, although some do levy an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
We had selected conveyancing lawyers based in Heaton and Jesmond on the Yorkshire BS solicitor panel. They have just billed me an additional fee for the legal aspects of the Yorkshire BS mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Yorkshire BS?
As unfair as it may appear, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or Quote then yes your solicitor is entitled to levy a fee for this. The fee is not set by Yorkshire BS but by your Heaton and Jesmond conveyancing practitioner. Numerous firms on the Yorkshire BS panel will quote an ‘acting for lender’ fee but plenty of practices include it on their overall fee.
The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Heaton and Jesmond. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How do I make a complaint?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. In most cases complaints to a lender are resolved effectively and efficiently. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR who will take matters further.
Me and my brother have a terraced Edwardian property in Heaton and Jesmond. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Yorkshire Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, the second leasehold with the exact same property. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?
You need to read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Heaton and Jesmond 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 lenders. You can also check the position with your conveyancing solicitor who carried out the work.
Are there any specific benefits to selecting a local property lawyer in Heaton and Jesmond
A significant proportion of house movers in Heaton and Jesmond decide on using a local conveyancing practitioner so that they can pop into the firm’s offices in the event that they have questions, and to collect paperwork rather than depending on the Royal Mail.
One could allege that there exists a slight benefit in using a lawyer nearby to a property you are buying, due to the familiarity of the area and potential local issues - however this is moot. The majority of conveyancers are now online and could be based anywhere.