Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Greenfield is not on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of her work?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 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. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Greenfield conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
My partner and I have lately bought a property in Greenfield. We have noticed several problems with the property which we suspect were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? What searches should? have been carried out for conveyancing in Greenfield?
The question is vague as to the nature of the problems and if they are unique to conveyancing in Greenfield. Conveyancing searches and investigations undertaken during the legal transfer of property are supposed to help avoid problems. As part of the process, a seller fills in a document called a SPIF. If the information turns out to be inaccurate, you may have a misrepresentation claim against the vendor for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Greenfield.
Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Greenfield?
Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Greenfield. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’
I'm remortgaging my existing home to a buy to let mortgage with and intend to use the remaining equity towards a second house. The area we are talking about is Greenfield. Will your solicitors be able to act for both sets of mortgage companies and tie in the two deals?
Do use our comparison tool on this site to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panels. Assuming that they are your lawyer should be able to simultaneously deal with the two conveyancing matters but you should have a chat with you lawyer and make clear your expectations and needs.
Should I use a Greenfield conveyancing solicitor based in the area that I am hoping to buy? An old friend can deal with the conveyancing but her office is 300kilometers away.
The benefit of a local Greenfield conveyancing practice is that you can drop in to sign paperwork, present your ID and pester them if necessary. They will also have local intelligence which is a plus. That being said nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If other friends have instructed your friend and on the whole were impressed that should outweigh using an unknown Greenfield conveyancing lawyer solely due to them being local.