I had intended to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Witney for our house purchase. Our financial adviser has since notified us that our bank Barnsley Building Society won't deal with them. Surely this is unfair competition?
A mortgage company can require an approved conveyancer act for it. You would be liable to bear the charges for this. Please make use of our directory service to find a solicitor to carry conveyancing in Witney on the Barnsley Building Society conveyancing panel.
Can I be sure that the Witney conveyancing solicitor on the Nationwide panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Witney seeking recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always advise that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your conveyancing.
I am expecting a OIP from Kent Reliance this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we only have online calculators to go by (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Kent Reliance recommend any Witney solicitors on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Witney solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Kent Reliance through the process.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment in Witney. My financial adviser suggested a conveyancer. I paid an advanced payment of £150. A couple of days later, the conveyancing practitioner called me to say that they were not on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the HSBC panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
We are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our home in Witney and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Witney conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed a web based conveyancing practice as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Witney. Having lived in Witney for 5 years we know of no issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to get confirmation need.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? 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 ailment)
I have been on the look out for a ground for flat up to £245,000 and identified one close by in Witney I like with a park and transport links nearby, the downside is that it only has 52 years unexpired on the lease. There is not much else in Witney for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a lease with such few years left?
Should you require a mortgage the shortness of the lease will be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the price by the expected lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of twenty four months you can ask them to commence the lease extension formalities and pass it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the existing lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should speak to your conveyancing lawyer about this.
Should I instruct a Witney conveyancing lawyer based in the location that I am purchasing? We have a good friend who can deal with the legal formalities however his firm is located approximately 350miles drive away.
The primary upside of using a local Witney conveyancing practice is that you can visit the firm to sign paperwork, present your ID and apply pressure on them if necessary. They will also have local knowledge which is a bonus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If you know people who used your friend and the majority were impressed that should trump using an unfamiliar Witney conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being Witney based.