My husband and I are hoping to purchase a property in Merseyside and are in fact using a Merseyside conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our property lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Bank of Ireland have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our Merseyside solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. What do we do from here?
Where you are buying a property needing a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your property lawyer should contact your lender and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel and you may continue to use your own Merseyside solicitors, in which case your legal fees may increase, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
I need some quick conveyancing in Merseyside as I am faced with pressure to complete inside 4 weeks. Fortunately I do not need a mortgage. Can I escape the need for conveyancing searches to save money and time?
As you are not taking a home loan you have the choice not to do searches although no law firm would recommend that you don't. With plenty of history conveyancing in Merseyside the following are instances of issues that can appear and therefore affect the marketability of the property: Refused Planning Applications, Outstanding Fees, Outstanding Grants, Railway Schemes,...
I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a house I put an offer in last month in what was supposed to be a quick, no chain conveyancing. Merseyside is the location of the property. Can you offer any advice?
Flying freeholds in Merseyside are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Merseyside you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Merseyside may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold property.
How do I use the search tool to select a conveyancing practitioner in Merseyside on the authorised to act for my lender?
First select a lender such as Nationwide Building Society, Chelsea Building Society or Bank of Ireland then choose your location e.g. Merseyside. Conveyancing firms in Merseyside and further afield should be identified.
I am looking for a conveyancing solicitor in Merseyside for my home move. Is it possible to see a solicitor's complaints history with the legal regulator?
Members of the public can find presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from investigations started on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. To find details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The SRA sometimes recorded telephone calls for training purposes.