I am selling my home in Radlett and the estate agent has just e-mailed to advise that the buyers are changing their solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the mortgage company will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Radlett ?
Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.
Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to oversee. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms 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.
Will lawyers request money on account for my conveyancing in Radlett?
Where you are retaining lawyers for conveyancing in Radlett your solicitor will ask you to provide them with funds to cover the the cost of the conveyancing searches. Normally this is requested to cover the fees of the Local Authority Search. If any down payment is payable against the total price then this will be required immediately ahead of exchange of contracts. The closing balance that is due should be sent to your lawyer shortly before completion.
I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Do I require chancel insurance when acquiring a residence in Radlett? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that means some owners of property residing in a parish church boundary will be compelled to pay for repairs to the chancel in proximity to the church. Is this suitable for conveyancing in Radlett?
Unless a previous acquisition of the house completed post 12 October 2013 you may assume that lawyers conducting conveyancing in Radlett to continue to advocate a chancel search and or insurance against a claim.
I used Arc property Solicitors several years past for my conveyancing in Radlett. I now require my papers but the law firm has closed. What do I do?
Do call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Radlett of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
We're first time buyers - had an offer accepted, but the agent informed us that the owners will only proceed if we use their recommended conveyancers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a local solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Radlett
It is unlikely the owners are driving this. Should the owner require ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine purchaser is likely to cause more damage than good. Contact the owners directly and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to progress, with finances arranged © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you will continue to appoint your preferred Radlett conveyancing firm - not the ones that will provide their estate agent a kickback or achieve conveyancing figures pre-set by head office.
A licensed conveyancer dealt with my conveyancing in Radlett half a dozen years past and was holding my deeds but has since been shut down – What steps do I now take to get hold of them?
Title deeds, as such, are no longer appropriate for most homes in Radlett are registered digitally at Land Registry. If you need to prove evidence of proprietorship or are disposing of or re-mortgaging your solicitor should obtain up to date copies of the register from the Land Registry in any case.
If you feel there may be other documents or you have any other queries please e-mail your request with details of the transaction and documents you need to filerequest@clc-uk.org. The CLC will let you know what information they have and any additional information they may need before they are in a position to identify and send the documents to you. Following an intervention it may take some time for the CLC to access archived files and documents, but your request will be actioned as quickly as possible.