Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Bow Street is not identified on my lender's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of her work?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the Bow Street conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
Do the conveyancing practitioners identified through your search tool conduct auction conveyancing in Bow Street?
We know of a number of auction solicitors we can connect you with those conducting auction conveyancing. Bow Street is one of our locations where our lawyers have offices.
The Bow Street conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my purchase in Bow Street have without warning shut down. I chose them because I needed a firm on the Barclays conveyancing panel and my family Bow Street lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take one hundred and fifty pounds for searches. What do I do now?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to reasons beyond your control. Hopefully they will 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 may be able to assist.
I acquired my house on 13 March and my personal details is yet to be on the land registry website. Need I be worried? My conveyancing solicitor in Bow Street said it will be registered inside ten days. Are transfers in Bow Street uniquely lengthy to register?
As far as conveyancing in Bow Street is concerned, registration is no faster or slower than anywhere else in England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timescales can vary subject to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry communicate with any interested parties. Currently approximately three quarters of submission are fully dealt with within two weeks but some can be subject to extensive delays. Registration takes place once the new owner has moved in to the property so an expedited registration is not typically an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer can contact the land registry and explain the circumstances.
I have been sourcing a conveyancing practitioner in Bow Street for my house move. Is there any facility to see a solicitor's record with the legal regulator?
Members of the public can review documented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions arising from investigations commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA may recorded call for training requirements.