All was ready to complete my purchase in Wealdstone next Tuesday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the mortgage company. What does the insurance need to cover?
All property lawyers on acting for banks would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 instructions. These requirements are not specific to conveyancing in Wealdstone.
We note that you have a search directory identifying law firms on the Barclays conveyancing panel. Do companies pay you a commission if I appoint them for our conveyancing in Wealdstone?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Barclays conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Wealdstone.
Do I need to visit the offices of the solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Wealdstone so that I can attend their offices if necessary.
Whereas this was necessary twenty years ago, the vast majority banks no longer require their conveyancing panel lawyer to witness the mortgagors signature. You will still be obliged to supply identification documents and there are still manifest benefits to using a local ayer, in your situation a conveyancing solicitor in Wealdstone.
There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Wealdstone but how do I know who's good?
It would be unwise to be tempted by the lowest Wealdstone conveyancing fees. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in ahead of time.
The formalities of my purchase has taken place for my property in Wealdstone. Conveyancing was a necessary evil but I feel I should register my dissatisfaction about the lender. How does one go about formally complaining?
All lenders have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the lender’s branches or the Customer Services Department at head office. We understand that complaints to a lender are resolved very quickly. If you feel the matter is not resolved you can write to Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR with full details of your complaint.
I've read lots of mortgage guides, I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my local Wealdstone solicitor - who is on the TSB conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. Is that normal?
TSB will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually TSB will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Wealdstone surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
I have been sourcing a conveyancing lawyer in Wealdstone for my remortgage. Is it possible to check a firm’s complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
You can read published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations resulting from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, call 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes recorded telephone calls for training requirements.