My husband and I are intent on acquiring a flat in Woodborough. My Conveyancer is not on the mortgage company conveyancing list. Am I still permitted to use my Woodborough conveyancing solicitor notwithstanding that they are excluded from the lender panel of approved conveyancing solicitors?
Your options include
- Complete the purchase with your existing Woodborough conveyancing practitioner but your lender will undoubtedly instruct a property lawyer from their approved panel. The net result is additional cost together with potential frustration.
- Appoint a new lawyer to conduct the conveyancing, making sure they are on the bank conveyancing panel.
- Convince your property lawyer to attempt to join the bank panel
My husband and I are getting closer to an exchange on a house in Woodborough and my mum and dad have sent the exchange deposit to my solicitor. I am now advised that as the deposit has not come from me my property lawyer needs to disclose this to my bank. I am advised that, in also acting for the mortgage company he must inform them that the balance of the purchase price is not just from me. I advised the bank concerning my parents' contribution when I applied for the home loan, so is it really necessary for this now to delay the deal?
Your lawyer is obliged to check with mortgage company to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. The solicitor can only report this to your mortgage company if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
The Woodborough conveyancing solicitors that just started acting on my purchase in Woodborough have without warning shut down. I chose them because I had to have a firm on the Barclays conveyancing panel and my preferred Woodborough lawyer was not. I wrote them a cheque for two hundred pounds in advance. What should be my next steps?
Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them straight away so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Barclays conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to assist.
We are buying a house in Woodborough. It might be a silly question but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we have to deposit money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our deposit?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
Can you point me to a directory of HSBC panel conveyancers in Woodborough on the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such facility on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association websites. Very few banks make their panel listings available on the web. If you are looking for a Woodborough solicitor on the HSBC please make the most of our tool.
We had chosen conveyancers located in Woodborough on the Kent Reliance solicitor panel. They have just billed me a further charge for the legal aspects of the Kent Reliance mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee specified by Kent Reliance?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your property lawyer may charge a fee for this. The fee is not dictated by Kent Reliance but by your Woodborough solicitor. Some firms on the Kent Reliance panel will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
I was pointed in your direction by three or four local selling agents in Woodborough to locate a property lawyer on your site. What’s the financial inducement for Estate Agents to promote your lawyers over another?
We don’t give any referral fee for sending work in our direction. We found it would be just too difficult to pay a commission as home movers will think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I receiving any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.
As co-executor for the estate of my aunt I am disposing of a house in Neath but reside in Woodborough. My conveyancer (approximately 200 miles awayneeds me to execute a statutory declaration before completion. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Woodborough to attest this legal document for me?
strictly speaking you should not be required to have the documents witnessed by a conveyancing solicitor. Normally any notary public or qualified solicitor will do regardless of whether they are Woodborough based