Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Swindon is not on my bank's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the standard of her conveyancing?
That is most likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are plenty of 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 most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer 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 Swindon conveyancing firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.
I am looking to buy a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Swindon who is on the Bank of Scotland approved. Can you recommend a local firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Bank of Scotland in certain locations such as Swindon. We dont recommend any particular firm.
I note that there are debates on Chancel Insurance on online forums. Am I compelled to take this when acquiring a residence in Swindon? or I am told that there is a law dating back centuries that means some owners of property living in a parish church boundary will be compelled to contribute towards repairs to the chancel within the church. Is this a legitimate concern for conveyancing in Swindon?
Unless a prior acquisition of the property completed post 12 October 2013 you may expect conveyancing practitioners carrying out conveyancing in Swindon to remain encouraging a chancel search and or chancel repair liability policy.
How does conveyancing in Swindon differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Swindon contact us having been asked by the housebuilder to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is ready to move into. This is because house builders in Swindon usually buy the real estate, 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 conveyancers 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 accustomed to new build conveyancing in Swindon or who has acted in the same development.
I was advised by a number of property agents in Swindon to choose a solicitor on your site. What’s the financial incentive for Estate Agents to recommend your lawyers rather than alternative conveyancing organisations?
We don’t give any financial incentive for sending work our way. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission because home movers will think, ‘Why is the agent getting a kickback? Why am I not getting any benefit too?’ So we decided to step away from that.