My partner and I are looking to buy a house in Hounslow and have instructed a Hounslow conveyancing firm. Within the past 48 hours our solicitor has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Lloyds TSB Bank have this morning contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Hounslow solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Please explain?
Where you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is normal for the purchasers' lawyers to also act for the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Hounslow lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Are the Hounslow conveyancing solicitors identified as being on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel, together with their details provided by Clydesdale?
Hounslow conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Clydesdale directly.
I am assisting my aunt sell her house in Hounslow. Will the conveyancing solicitor commission an energy performance certificate or it is for the seller to coordinate?
Following the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s became a compulsory component of selling a property. An energy performance certificate should be commissioned prior to the property being advertised. This is not something that solicitors ordinarily organise. Where you are using a Hounslow conveyancing lawyer they may be able to arrange EPC’s given their contacts with long established Hounslow assessors
Is there a list of Nottingham panel solicitors in Hounslow on the Building Society Association’s Website?
Unfortunately not yet. There is no such tool on the Council of Mortgage Lenders or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of banks make their panel listings available online. If you are looking for a Hounslow conveyancer on the Nottingham please make the most of our tool.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Hounslow. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Clydesdale be concerned?
As your lender is Clydesdale your lawyer must check the conveyancing requirements contained in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Clydesdale. The CML Handbook stipulates minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Clydesdale where a lease fails to meet these conditions. The conditions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to Hounslow.
I have been told that property searches are the main reason for obstruction in Hounslow house deals. Is that correct?
The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has noted the determinations of a review by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not feature within the common causes of delays during the legal transfer of property. Local searches are not likely to feature in any holding up conveyancing in Hounslow.
I need to retain a conveyancing solicitor for my conveyancing in Hounslow. I've land on a web site which appears to be the ideal offering If it is possible to get all this stuff done via web that would be ideal. Do I need to be concerned? What are the potential pitfalls?
As usual with these online conveyancers you need to read ALL the small print - did you notice the extra charge for dealing with the mortgage?