Unfortunately I am unable to travel far from West Barnes. Please spell out why all West Barnes solicitors are not on all lender panels?
Before the recession most banks exhibited an attitude to risk which differs from the current day. The Financial Services Authority in 2010 conducted a thematic review into fraud which in summary warned lenders: know the property lawyers on your panel. Consequently, lenders have subsequently requiredmore information from law firms about their operations and the individuals who work for them and set certain criteria such as completing a minimum volume of transactions. Many firms have been removed from lender panels even though they had an exemplary disciplinary record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Many firms were never going to satisfy the criteria of amount of transactions the lenders required.
As a FTB what is the most important piece of guidance you can give me regarding purchase conveyancing in West Barnes?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in West Barnes and elsewhere in South West London is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there exists lots of opportunity for conflict between you and others involved in the transaction. E.g., the seller, property agent and sometimes a mortgage company. Appointing a lawyer for your conveyancing in West Barnes is a critical decision as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the transaction whose interest is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.
There is a worrying emergence of a "blame" culture- someone must be blamed for the process taking so long. You should always trust your solicitor ahead of all other parties when it comes to the legal assignment of property.
My grandfather passed away six months ago and as sole heir and executor I was left the house in West Barnes. The house had a small mortgage left on it of around £4500. I want to transfer the title deeds into my name whilst I re-mortgage to Santander, pay off the mortgage. Is this possible?
Where you plan to re-mortgage then Santander will insist on your using a conveyancer on the Santander conveyancing panel. Here is link to the Land Registry online guidance around what to do when a property owner dies. This will help you to understand the registration process behind changing the details re the registered title. in your case it would appear that you are effectively purchasing the property from the estate. Your Santander conveyancing panel solicitor pays the new mortgage money into the estate, the estate pays off the old mortgage, the charge is released and you become the owner and the Santander mortgage is registered as a charge at the Land Registry.
What can a local search inform me about the property we're buying in West Barnes?
West Barnes conveyancing often starts with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company for instance Xpress Legal The local search plays an important role in many a West Barnes conveyancing purchase; as long as you don’t want any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search should supply information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications applicable to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.
I used Action Conveyancing several years past for my conveyancing in West Barnes. Now, I need my documents but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should 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 West Barnes of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. West Barnes is where the house is located. Is there any guidance you can give?
Flying freeholds in West Barnes are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in West Barnes you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in West Barnes may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.