I am selling my house in St Annes and the estate agent has just text me to advise that the buyers are switching property lawyer. The reason given is that the bank will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named mortgage company only engage with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in St Annes ?
Banks have always had an approved set of law firms that can act for them, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have considered 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 as the reason for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.
My nephew is about to exchange on a house that has just been built in St Annes with a mortgage from Nottingham. His lawyer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?
The form is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the Nottingham conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when requested. The developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it. The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the Nottingham conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
It is a dozen years since I purchased my property in St Annes. Conveyancing lawyers have now been instructed on the sale but I am unable to locate my title documents. Will this jeopardise the sale?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly the deeds may be with your mortgage company or they may be archived with the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the chances are that the title will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors obtaining current official copies of the land registers. Most conveyancing in St Annes relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
The estate agent has sent us the confirmation of our purchase of a new build apartment in St Annes. Conveyancing is necessary evil at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. What sort of enquires would be asked in new build conveyancing.
Set out below is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build enquiries that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in St Annes
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The Vendor must covenant to keep unsold units in good repair until long leases are granted therefore. Will the freehold then be transferred for a nominal consideration (not exceeding £100) to the Management Company? Please confirm the Lease plans are architect prepared. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants.
Should I be wary that third parties that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a national conveyancing firm rather than a local St Annes conveyancing firm?
As is the case with many service providers, often referrals from family and friends can be worth their weight in gold. Yet there are numerous players in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks might all recommend lawyers to instruct. Sometimes these lawyers might be known to one of the organisations as being good in their field, but sometimes there may be a commercial relationship behind the recommendation. You are free to appoint your preferred lawyer. However, bear in mind that most lenders specify a panel list of lawyers you must use for the lender aspect of your house move.
I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in St Annes for my home move. Is it possible to check a firm’s record with the profession’s regulator?
Anyone can see published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations started on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For records about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor telephone calls for training requirements.