We are purchasing a 1 bedroom apartment in Kidderminster with a mortgage. We would like to retain our Kidderminster solicitor, but the lender says she’s not on their "panel". It appears that we have no option but to select one of the mortgage company panel conveyancing practices or keep our Kidderminster conveyancer as well as pay for one of their panel lawyers to represent them. This feels very unfair; are we not able to demand that the bank use our Kidderminster property lawyer ?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms 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 Kidderminster conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
As a first time buyer what is the most important number one tip you can give me about purchase conveyancing in Kidderminster?
Not many law firms shout this from the rooftops but conveyancing in Kidderminster or throughout Worcestershire is often a confrontational experience. Put another way, when it comes to conveyancing there exists an abundance of room for friction between you and other parties involved in the ownership transfer. E.g., the seller, selling agent and on occasion the lender. Choosing a solicitor for your conveyancing in Kidderminster should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE person in the legal process whose interest is to look after your best interests and to keep you safe.
There is a definite creep in the "blame" culture- someone has to be blamed for the process taking so long. You your first instinct should be to trust your conveyancer above the other players when it comes to the legal assignment of property.
The Kidderminster conveyancing lawyers that just started acting on my house acquisition in Kidderminster have without warning shut down. I only went with them because I had to have a lawyer on the RBS conveyancing panel and my previous Kidderminster lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What do I do now?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the RBS conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to assist.
If you had a top tip for choosing a conveyancing solicitor in Kidderminster what would it be?
It would be unwise to be swayed by the cheapest Kidderminster conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
I am purchasing a detached bungalow in Kidderminster. The intention is to convert the garage to an office at the property.Will the conveyancing process include checks to determine if these works were previously refused?
Your property lawyer will review the registered title as conveyancing in Kidderminster can occasionally reveal restrictions in the title documents which prevent certain changes or require the permission of a 3rd party. Certain works require local authority planning permissions and approval in accordance building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these issues with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.
Can I be sure that the Kidderminster conveyancing solicitor on the Kent Reliance panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Kidderminster getting recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor conducting your conveyancing.
My relative recommended that where I am purchasing in Kidderminster I should ask my conveyancer to perform a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Kidderminster conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Kidderminster around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Kidderminster Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information regarding Kidderminster.
How does conveyancing in Kidderminster differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Kidderminster come to us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is finished. This is because new home sellers in Kidderminster tend to buy the land, 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 property lawyers 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 Kidderminster or who has acted in the same development.