Is the fact that my solicitor in Astley is not on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of his work?
It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are plenty of plausible explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator revealed 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 Astley conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.
It is a dozen years since I bought my home in Astley. Conveyancing lawyers have now been appointed on the sale but I can't track down my title deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. First the deeds may be retained by the lender or they may stored with the lawyers who oversaw the purchase. Secondly in all probability the property will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring up to date copy of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Astley relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is not registered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
We are expecting a mortgage offer soon. The bank mentioned the home loan came with free conveyancing. Is the implication that I have to instruct their panel conveyancer as I would prefer to instruct a Astley based conveyancing firm?
You should check but the chances are that appoint one of their panel conveyancers should you take up the "fee-free" offer. Call the mortgage company to ask if they allow a cash alternative. It is not unheard for a lender to give a £250 cashback as an alternative in which case that money can go towards the cost for your conveyancing solicitor near Astley.
We are buying a 3 bedroom semi in Astley. The intention is to convert the garage to a playroom at the property.Will the conveyancing process include enquiries to ascertain if these works were previously refused?
Your conveyancer should review the deeds as conveyancing in Astley can on occasion reveal restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain works or need the permission of another owner. Certain works need local authority planning consent and approval in compliance with building regulations. Some areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or impact extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor prior to committing yourself to a purchase.
I am expecting a OIP from Yorkshire BS this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Yorkshire BS recommend any Astley solicitors on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel, or is it better to find our own lawyer?
You will need to appoint Astley solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Yorkshire BS conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Yorkshire BS through the process.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Astley property lawyer on the Co-operative panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?
If you have finished paying off your Co-operative 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 Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, 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 Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so
How do I locate a Astley law firm on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel? I drive a motor bike and am willing to travel upto 20miles to meet the lawyer.
Feel free to make use of the tool on this website. Please select a lender and your location and you will see a number of Astley conveyancing lawyers locally. We have listed some Astley conveyancing firms at the bottom of this page and you can contact them to verify whether they are on the Birmingham Midshires member panel