Last February we completed a house move in St James's. We have noticed several issues with the house which we suspect were overlooked in the conveyancing searches. What action can we take? What searches should? have been ordered as part of conveyancing in St James's?
It is not clear from the question as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in St James's. Conveyancing searches and investigations initiated during the legal transfer of property are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a property owner answers a document referred to as a SPIF. If the information is incorrect, you could possibly take legal action against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in St James's.
We are planning to move home in May. Will my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. As an aside, can you recommend a removal company in St James's. Conveyancing lawyer was organised prior to coming across this website.
On the day of completion you will need to pick up the keys from your property agent but this should only occur after the vendors lawyers advise the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be collected. Subsequently you will need to advise the removal men that they can start moving you in. As a matter of policy we do not suggest a particular removal organisation but can help you find a residential property solicitor in St James's or a solicitor that specialises in conveyancing in St James's.
We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from Leeds Building Society as we want to conduct a loft conversion to our property in St James's. Are we obliged to select a high street St James's solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel to deal with the paperwork?
Leeds Building Society do not ordinarily appoint firms on their conveyancing panel to handle such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Leeds Building Society panel.
I am expecting a DIP from Barclays this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Barclays recommend any St James's solicitors on the Barclays conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint St James's solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Barclays conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Barclays through the process.
Should my conveyancer be asking questions regarding flooding during the conveyancing in St James's.
Flooding is a growing risk for conveyancers conducting conveyancing in St James's. There are those who buy a property in St James's, completely aware that at some time, it may suffer from flooding. However, leaving to one side the physical destruction, if a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to get a mortgage, satisfactory building insurance, or sell the property. There are steps that can be taken during the course of a house purchase to forewarn the purchaser.
Solicitors are not best placed to give advice on flood risk, but there are a number of searches that can be undertaken by the purchaser or on a buyer’s behalf which should figure out the risks in St James's. The conventional set of completed inquiry forms given to a buyer’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) includes a usual question of the seller to discover if the premises has historically flooded. In the event that flooding has previously occurred which is not disclosed by the owner, then a purchaser could issue a claim for damages resulting from an misleading answer. The purchaser’s lawyers should also commission an environmental search. This will reveal if there is a recorded flood risk. If so, further inquiries should be carried out.
I decided to have a survey carried out on a property in St James's before appointing lawyers. I have been told that there is a flying freehold element to the house. Our surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend not issue a loan on such a house.
It depends who your proposed lender is. Lloyds has different requirements for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to telephone us we can look into this further with the relevant mortgage company. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are accustomed to dealing with flying freeholds in St James's. Conveyancing will be smoother if you use a solicitor in St James's especially if they regularly deal with such properties in St James's.
Is it possible to swap solicitor as I need to retain a firm on the Chelsea Building Society conveyancing list. I was using a high street conveyancing solicitor in St James's round the corner but she is not accepted by Chelsea Building Society
We will our best to assist in finding you a conveyancing solicitor in St James's on the Chelsea Building Society panel. Please note that the solicitors that we work with do not pay us a referral fee if you instruct them and are fully regulated by the SRA who oversee all conveyancing solicitors in St James's. In utilising search facility on this page, you can compare and instruct different solicitors and conveyancers both nationally and in St James's.
I am looking for a conveyancing practitioner in St James's for my sale. Is it possible to see a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
Members of the public may see published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions commenced on or after Jan 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find information about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's record, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, call +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes monitor call for training purposes.