Is the fact that my solicitor in Bedfordshire is not identified on my bank's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his conveyancing?
That is more than likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (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 Bedfordshire conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
We are purchasing a house in Bedfordshire. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? On completion day we will need to send money into their account. What protection do we have from them run away with our money?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
If you had a top tip for selecting a conveyancing solicitor in Bedfordshire what would it be?
Do not opt for the cheapest Bedfordshire conveyancing quote. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. 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 go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.
I just bought a house at auction in Bedfordshire. Conveyancing is needed. What is next?
Having exchanged you now have to hire the services of a conveyancing solicitor soon as you are facing a tight a drop dead date to complete the conveyancing. An auction property will have an associated legal pack. This will include the copy title deeds, local authority and drainage searches. In the case of leasehold premises the legal pack may provide a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation relating to a leasehold property. You must give this to your appointed conveyancing solicitor at the earliest opportunity. Do make sure that that you have the requisite funding organised to complete the transaction on the set completion date.
My relative advised me that if I am buying in Bedfordshire I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. What does it cover?
A search of this type is occasionally quoted for as part of the standard Bedfordshire conveyancing searches. It is not a small document of about 40 pages, listing and setting out significant information about Bedfordshire around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Bedfordshire Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Local Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data concerning Bedfordshire.
I used Stirling Law a few years past for my conveyancing in Bedfordshire. Now, I need the documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?
You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to help locate your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Bedfordshire of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously hired, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.
How easy is it to change a solicitor as I need to find a Bedfordshire based conveyancer who is on the mortgage company conveyancing panel. How simple is it to change conveyancer?
In the event that you have not formally appointed a conveyancer to commence the conveyancing and have just received an estimate as to costs, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Bedfordshire that you're thinking of instructing.