I am in the process of selling my maisonette in Lancing and the estate agent has just text me to warn that the buyers are switching conveyancer. The excuse is that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their approved list. On what basis would a leading lender only engage with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Lancing ?
Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for many years.
Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say 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. 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. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
My Solicitor in Lancing has never been on on the Accord Mortgages Ltd Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to continue with my prefered solicitor even though they are not on the Accord Mortgages Ltd panel?
The limited options open to you here include:
- Carry on with your existing Lancing solicitors but Accord Mortgages Ltd will need to retain a solicitor on their panel. This will result in additional total conveyancing charges as well as cause frustration.
- Choose a new lawyer to to deal with the purchase, not forgetting to check they are on the Accord Mortgages Ltd panel
Should my solicitor be asking questions concerning flooding as part of the conveyancing in Lancing.
Flooding is a growing risk for solicitors conducting conveyancing in Lancing. There are those who buy a property in Lancing, completely aware that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, adequate insurance cover, or dispose of the premises. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the purchaser.
Lawyers are not best placed to impart advice on flood risk, however there are a number of searches that can be carried out by the purchaser or by their conveyancers which can give them a better appreciation of the risks in Lancing. The conventional set of information sent to a buyer’s lawyer (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a standard question of the seller to find out whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not notified by the owner, then a buyer could issue a claim for damages as a result of such an incorrect response. A buyer’s solicitors should also order an environmental report. This will disclose if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, more detailed inquiries should be carried out.
How do I search for a Lancing solicitor on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel? I am a keen cyclist and am prepared to travel upto 20miles to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the facility on this website. Please choose the mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Lancing conveyancing lawyers locally. We have detailed some Lancing conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can call them to verify whether they are on the Bank of Ireland member panel
I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in Lancing for my house move. Can I check a firm’s record with the profession’s regulator?
One can review published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, ring 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor telephone calls for training purposes.
I am an executor of my recently deceased mum’s Will, with a bungalow in Lancing which is to be sold. The property is unregistered at the Land Registry and I'm advised that some estate agents will insist that it is completed before they'll proceed. What's the procedure for this?
In the circumstances that you have set out it seems sensible to apply to register in the names of the personal representative(s) as named in the probate and in their capacity as PRs. The Land Registry’s online guidance explains how to register for the first time and what is required re the deeds and forms. You would need to include and certified copy of the probate as well and complete the form FR1 to refer to the PRs as the applicant.