The owners have rather pushy sellers who has suggested a preliminary agreement with a non-refundable deposit 6,000. Are such contracts recommended for Portland conveyancing transactions?
This form of preliminary agreement is unusual in Portland, conveyancers are often found to veer clients away from them as they detract from focusing on the primary focus, namely conveyancing and if you end up losing your deposit then the solicitor at best left with an upset client and at worst a litigious one. In addition, there is no guarantee that just because the vendor has executed an exclusivity contract they will complete the sale with you. They may be motivated to break the contract if they receive sufficient offer to do so because a wronged claimant with the benefit of a lockout agreement will still be duty bound to show losses as a consequence of the breach and these may not equalise the extra amount that your vendor may gain by breaching the contract, however morally shameful that may be.
We are looking to buy a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Portland who is on the Bank of Ireland approved panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Bank of Ireland . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Portland.
Having spent time scouring consumer advice sites for a high-quality solicitor in Portland, most comment that I should use a CQS accredited solicitor. Can you explain what CQS is?
The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme is the recognised quality mark for legal experts in the legal transfer of properties, trusted by some of the UK's biggest lenders. In 2011-12 the Conveyancing Quality Scheme was officially recognised by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). CQS is not a scheme offered by the Society for Licensed Conveyancers. Portland is one of the many areas of the UK where there are Accredited lawyers.
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to my property are lost. The conveyancers who dealt with the conveyancing in Portland 5 years ago are no longer around. What are my next steps?
Nowadays there are duplicates made of almost everything, and your conveyancer should know exactly where to look for all the suitable documentation so you may purchase or dispose of your property without a hitch. If copies can’t be found, your conveyancer may be able to put in place insurance or indemnities protecting you against future claims on the premises.
How does conveyancing in Portland differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Portland approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is built. This is because builders in Portland usually purchase the real estate, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Portland or who has acted in the same development.