It is a dozen years since I acquired my house in Westminster. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been retained on the sale but I can't locate my deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be retained by the mortgage company or they could still be with the lawyers who oversaw your purchase. Secondly in all probability the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to prove you are the registered owner by your conveyancing lawyers acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Most conveyancing in Westminster relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your property is unregistered it is more tricky but is resolvable.
Have just purchased a probate house at auction in Westminster. Conveyancing is needed. What happens now?
Given that you have now legally committed yourself to purchase you should retain a conveyancing solicitor soon as you will have a tight deadline in which to complete the deal. An auction property should have an associated auction pack. This will likely include evidence of title and search results. Where you are dealing with leasehold premises the conveyancing pack may include a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation pertinent to leasehold premises. You need to pass this on to the lawyer working for you at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding in order to complete the transaction on the set completion date.
Is it the case that all Westminster conveyancing solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?
As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the RBS approved list of solicitors they would need to be regulated by the SRA. Some lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the firms would be governed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We were going to get a DIP from RBS this week so we can work out what to offer on a property we like as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do RBS recommend any Westminster solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Westminster solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the RBS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and RBS through the process.
Various internet forums that I have frequented warn that are the main cause of hinderance in Westminster house deals. Is there any truth in this?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the conclusions of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature amongst the most frequent causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Local searches are unlikely to be the root cause of delay in conveyancing in Westminster.
What tools are available to locate a Westminster law firm on the Platform Home Loans Ltd conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am willing to travel upto 10kilometers to meet the conveyancer.
You can use the search on this page. Please choose the mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Westminster conveyancing lawyers based on proximity. We have listed some Westminster conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can contact them to verify if they are on the Platform Home Loans Ltd panel
My husband and I are new to the buying process - agreed a price, but the property agent told us that the seller will only proceed if we appoint their preferred solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. We would rather use a local conveyancer with experience of conveyancing in Westminster
It is unlikely the sellers are behind this. If they desire ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious buyer is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Bypass the agents and go straight to the owners and make sure they comprehend that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you intend to use your preferred Westminster conveyancing firm - not the ones that will earn the negotiator at the agency a referral fee or meet his conveyancing figures pre-set by senior management.
Me and my wife have agreed a price on a Westminster property we inherited ten years ago in 2012. I have over a decades worth of conveyancing know-how and, now retired, intend to undertake my own legal work. The purchaser's solicitor has informed me that their bank will not allow you to do your own conveyancing as they require the funds to be transferred to a solicitor's bank account.
Mortgage instructions to property lawyers from all CML members specify that If the vendor is not legally represented the buyer’s lawyers should check whether the lender needs to be notified so that a decision can be made if they are willing to move forward.