My partner and I are approaching an exchange on a flat in Stafford and my parents have sent the exchange deposit to my conveyancing practitioner. I am now informed that as the deposit has not arrived from me my conveyancing practitioner needs to make a notification to my mortgage company. Apparently, in also acting for the bank he must advise them that the balance of the purchase price is not just from me. I advised the bank about my parents' contribution when I applied for the home loan, so is it really appropriate for him to raise this?
The conveyancer is obliged to clarify with lender to ensure that they know that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own resources. The solicitor can only notify this to your mortgage company if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
It is 10 years ago since I bought my home in Stafford. Conveyancing lawyers have recently been retained on the sale but I am unable to locate my deeds. Is this a problem?
You need not be too concerned. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by your lender or they could be archived with the conveyancers who acted in your purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the title will be registered at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing lawyers procuring current official copies of the land registers. The vast majority of conveyancing in Stafford relates to registered property but in the unlikely event that your home is not registered it adds to the complexity but is not insurmountable.
My Conveyancer in Stafford is not on the Halifax Solicitor Panel. Is it possible for me to use my family solicitor even though they are excluded from the Halifax approved list?
Your options are as follows:
- Carry on with your existing Stafford solicitors but Halifax will need to retain a solicitor on their panel. This will inevitably rack up the overall conveyancing fees and cause delays.
- Get an alternative lawyer to to deal with the purchase, not forgetting to check they are Convince your solicitor to do everything within their powers to join the Halifax conveyancing panel
We're novice buyers - had an offer accepted, yet the property agent has warned us that the vendor will only go ahead if we appoint their chosen lawyers as they need an ‘expedited deal’. Our preferred option is to instruct a family solicitor who is accustomed to conveyancing in Stafford
We suspect that the owner is not behind this demand. Should the vendor desire ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a genuine buyer is going to damage their objectives. Avoid the agents and go straight to the sellers and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to go, with mortgage lined up © you have nothing to sell (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you will continue to instruct your preferred Stafford conveyancing firm - not the ones that will provide the estate agent a commission or meet his conveyancing thresholds pre-set by corporate headquarters.
Myself and my wife have just had an offer accepted on a house and had an appointment on Wednesday with HSBC for the mortgage. They warned us that when it comes to choosing a conveyancing practitioner that if they are not on their approved panel of conveyancers then we will have to pay out an additional charge of about two hundred pounds. This is because they would then have to instruct a conveyancer to act on their behalf in addition to the one we choose to act for ourselves and we assume responsibility for their costs. I have requested HSBC to send me with a list so I can seek quotes only from their approved conveyancers but was told that I need to check with each individual conveyancer to see if they are on the panel. Is there a list online?
You should ask HSBC what their criteria for joining their panel is for a conveyancer.Thereafter ask the solicitor of your choice whether they fit that criteria and have they acted on loans for HSBC in the past. Where the answer to those is yes, then just double check with HSBC. Another option is to use our search tool and we should be able to find you a conveyancer in Stafford on the panel for HSBC.