Completed the sale of my flat in Hillsborough last May yet the purchaser is Skype messaging daily to moan that her lawyer is waiting to hear from mylawyer. What should have happened now that I have sold?
Post completion of your house sale your conveyancer should forward the transfer documentation and all additional paperwork to the purchaser's lawyers. If applicable, your solicitor should also confirm that the home loan has been redeemed to the buyers solicitors. There is unlikely to be post completion formalities just for conveyancing in Hillsborough.
My fiance and I wish to acquire a 1 bedroom flat in Hillsborough with a loan from Accord Mortgages Ltd.We like our Hillsborough conveyancing solicitor but Accord Mortgages Ltd informed us her practice is not on their "panel". It seems we are left with no choice but to instruct a Accord Mortgages Ltd panel solicitor or keep our preferred solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to act for them. This seems very unfair; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. The loan issued to you is subject to its terms and conditions, a common one being that solicitors will be on the Accord Mortgages Ltd solicitor panel. Until recently, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find 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 solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Accord Mortgages Ltd
My wife and I purchasing a detached bungalow in Hillsborough. The intention is to convert the garage to an office at the property.Will legal work on the property involve checks to see if these alterations are allowed?
Your property lawyer should review the registered title as conveyancing in Hillsborough can occasionally identify restrictions in the title deeds which prohibit categories of works or require the permission of a 3rd party. Many additions require local authority planning permissions and approval in compliance with building regulations. Certain areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which often prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
The formalities of my remortgage has taken place for my property in Hillsborough. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
Most 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 sorted out very quickly. If you feel 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.
I was told two weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Co-operative. Is it usual for Co-operative to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Hillsborough is approved on their conveyancing panel? Co-operative have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their Professional Indemnity Insurance Schedule.
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Co-operative to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
Various web forums that I have come across warn that are a common reason for delay in Hillsborough house deals. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) released conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature within the top 10 causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are not likely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Hillsborough.
The deeds to my property are lost. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Hillsborough 5 years ago no longer exist. What are my options?
Assuming you have a registered title the information relating to your proprietorship will be documented by the Land Registry with a Title Number. It is easy to execute a search at the Land Registry, identify your house and secure current copies of the property title for less than a fiver. If the property is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases retain a file copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be ordered for a small fee.
My fiance and I recently found out that one of the partners of the solicitors acting on the purchase conveyancing in Hillsborough is an aunty of the owners that we are purchasing from. Is this permitted?
On the basis that no conflict arises this is allowable. If you are requiring mortgage finance then the lender may have a say as many mortgage companies have specific requirements on this. For example for RBS- First Active as of 16/10/2025, the requirements read as follows :