My husband and I wish to acquire a purpose built flat in Wimborne with a loan from HSBC Bank.We have a Wimborne conveyancing lawyer but HSBC Bank says he's not listed on their approved list of member firms. We have to appoint a HSBC Bank panel solicitor or retain our high street solicitor and pay for a HSBC Bank panel lawyer to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?
Unfortunately,no. The mortgage offered to you contains various provisions, a common one being that lawyers will be on the HSBC Bank approved list. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of solicitors on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for HSBC Bank
I am planning on selling our house in Wimborne and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers instructed a web based conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Wimborne. We have lived in Wimborne for 5 years we know of no issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation that the buyers are looking for.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. 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 life insurance to cover that same illness)
I have justbeen informed that Arc property Solicitors have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Wimborne for a purchase of a leasehold flat 10 months ago. How can I establish that the property is not still registered in the name of the former proprietor?
The quickest way to see if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Wimborne conveyancing specialists.
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, no chain conveyancing. Wimborne is the location of the property. Can you offer any guidance?
Flying freeholds in Wimborne are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Wimborne you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds diligently. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Wimborne 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 residence.
I was pointed in your direction by three or four local estate agents in Wimborne to choose a conveyancer on your site. What’s the financial advantage for Estate Agents to offer your lawyers over a competitor’s?
We don’t give any referral fee for directing people our way. We thought it would be too underhand a fee because home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.
I am thinking of appointing a conveyancing solicitor in Wimborne for my house move. Is there any facility to check a solicitor's record with the profession’s regulator?
You may read presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may monitor call for training reasons.