What happens if my lawyer’s firm is suspended from the HSBC Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Walton?
The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
Is it the case that all Walton solicitor practices on the HSBC conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?
As solicitors, in order to be on the HSBC approved list of solicitors they would need to be governed by the SRA. Many mortgage companies do permit licenced conveyancers on their panel in which case such firms would be regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.
We previously instructed solicitors locally in Walton on the RBS solicitor approved list. They are now charging me an additional fee for the legal aspects of the RBS mortgage. Is this a supplemental conveyancing fee set by RBS?
As unfair as it may seem, as long as it’s in their Terms of Engagement or estimate then yes your solicitor is entitled to charge a fee for this. The charge is not dictated by RBS but by your Walton solicitor. Plenty of firms on the RBS panel will charge ’dealing with mortgage’ fee but some firms incorporate it on their overall fee.
I have a mortgage with UBS for my property in Walton. Conveyancing was finalised some time ago. In the event that I decide to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform UBS?
UBS must be informed of your intention before renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of UBS’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact UBS directly. You need not do this via a UBS conveyancing panel firm.
I need some expedited conveyancing in Walton as I am faced with pressure to complete inside 4 weeks. Fortunately I do not require a mortgage. Can I decline from having conveyancing searches to save fees and time?
If.Given you are are a mortgage free purchaser you are at free not to have searches carried out although no conveyancer would advise that you don't. With lots of history conveyancing in Walton the following are instances of what can appear and adversely impact the marketability of the property: Enforcement Notices, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Road Schemes,...
I used Arc property Solicitors a few years ago for my conveyancing in Walton. Now, I need my documents but the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Walton of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously retained, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor for leasehold conveyancing in Walton. I happened to land on a web site which appears to be the perfect solution If there is a chance to get all this stuff done via web that would be preferable. Should I be concerned? What should out be looking out for?
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?