Are the Snowdonia conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the HSBC conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by HSBC?
Snowdonia conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from HSBC directly.
We had chosen conveyancing lawyers located in Snowdonia on the Santander solicitor approved list. They are now charging me a separate fee for the legal aspects of the Santander mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by Santander?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms and Conditions or estimate then yes your conveyancing practitioner can levy a fee for this. The charge is not set by Santander but by your Snowdonia solicitor. Numerous firms on the Santander panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee and others do not.
I am purchasing a property in Snowdonia. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Skipton have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that your lender is Skipton your lawyer must follow the conveyancing instructions contained in Part 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Skipton. The CML Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Skipton where a lease fails to comply with these provisions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Snowdonia.
I was told two weeks ago that my mortgage has been agreed to by Barclays. Is it usual for Barclays to only issue the offer once my solicitor in Snowdonia is approved on their conveyancing panel? Barclays have asked my solicitor to see a copy of their PI Insurance.
A lender would not issue a mortgage until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Barclays to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Barclays conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
My wife and I are downsizing from our home in Snowdonia and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. Any local lawyer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the buyers are using a factory type conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Snowdonia. We have lived in Snowdonia for six years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to seek confirmation that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor already. Are they able to advise? You must enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out health insurance to cover that same sickness)
It has been 4 months following my purchase conveyancing in Snowdonia concluded. I have checked the Land Registry site which shows that I paid £200,000 when infact I paid £180,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the premises from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
Should I go with a Snowdonia conveyancing practitioner based in the location that I am buying? We have a good friend who can conduct the conveyancing however his firm is located 300miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Snowdonia conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to sign documents, hand in your identification documents and apply pressure on them if necessary. They will also have local insight which is a benefit. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have instructed your friend and in the main were content that must trump using an unfamiliar Snowdonia conveyancing lawyer just because they are Snowdonia based.
My husband and I have recently had an offer accepted on our first house in Snowdonia, and are about to get solicitors appointed. We have used the different comparison tools and the quotes are from all over the the UK. Is it necessary to have a Snowdonia solicitor local to the prospective house? We are fine to do everything electronically, but I am thinking at some stage we will be required to attend the conveyancing practitioner's office to sign contracts?
On the whole there is no need to attend the office of your conveyancing practitioner, they can post any relevant documents to you, which you can sign and return. Many home movers nevertheless opt to use a locally based solicitor, but it is not a prerequisite for conveyancing in Snowdonia.