Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Woodingdean is not identified on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of her conveyancing?
That is most likely a wrong assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) low volume 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 Woodingdean conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
As a novice what is the most important advice you can impart about purchase conveyancing in Woodingdean?
You may not hear this from too many lawyers but conveyancing in Woodingdean or throughout East Sussex is often a confrontational process. In other words, when it comes to conveyancing there is an abundance of opportunity for friction between you and other parties involved in the legal transfer of property. For example, the vendor, selling agent and sometimes a mortgage company. Selecting a law firm for your conveyancing in Woodingdean should not be taken lightly as your conveyancer is your adviser, and is the SOLE party in the legal process whose interest is to protect your legal interests and to keep you safe.
On occasion a potential adversary will try and sway you that you should follow their advice. For instance, the property agent may claim to be assisting by claiming that your solicitor is slow. Or your mortgage broker may try to convince you to do take action that is against your lawyers guidance. You should always trust your lawyer above all other parties when it comes to the legal transfer of property.
Are all Woodingdean Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Nottingham conveyancing list of approved firms?
It is true that some banks and building societies now make use of CQS as the kick off point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS accreditation however gives no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitor practices wishing to remain on their approved list of conveyancing solicitors.
My fiancee and I are spending time viewing houses in Woodingdean and I am about to put in an offer. Is it too early to have a solicitor in place? I am planning to take a home loan with Virgin Money.
It would be sensible to commence your search sooner rather than later. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their contact information on to the selling agent. Given that you are taking out a mortgage with Virgin Money, ask your prospective lawyers if they are on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with RBS. I assume I don't need a Woodingdean conveyancing practitioner on the RBS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your RBS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the RBS mortgage from the register. RBS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where RBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- RBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
How does conveyancing in Woodingdean differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build property in Woodingdean approach us having been asked by the seller to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because new home sellers in Woodingdean usually purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Woodingdean or who has acted in the same development.
How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial property in Woodingdean and how can your lawyers assist?
The 1954 Act affords a safeguard to business leaseholders, granting the a statutory right to make a request to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of an expired lease. There are certain specified grounds that a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complex. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Woodingdean is one of the numerous areas of the UK in which our lawyers are located