My wife and I are looking to buy a property in Wimbledon and have instructed a Wimbledon conveyancing practice. Within the past 48 hours our conveyancer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Clydesdale have this evening contacted us to advise us that there is now an issue as our Wimbledon lawyer is not on their approved list of lawyers. What do we do from here?
When purchasing a property with mortgage finance it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the purchaser's lender. 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 mortgage company and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the lender’s conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Wimbledon lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it will likely delay the transaction as you are adding another lawyer into the mix.
Can the conveyancing practitioners that you recommend carry out right to buy conveyancing in Wimbledon?
We have identified plenty of conveyancing practitioners who can conduct right to buy transactions Do contact the conveyancers listed in order to secure a costs calculation.
I am thinking of mortgaging my apartment in Wimbledon, does my lawyer have to be on the Principality Solicitor panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor, but Principality will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is much more potential for delays and confusion with an additional lawyer added to the mix, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
We are purchasing a victorian detached house in Wimbledon. The intention is to carry out an extension to the side at the house.Will legal conveyancing on the property include enquiries to ascertain if these works are prohibited?
Your conveyancer will check the deeds as conveyancing in Wimbledon can sometimes identify restrictions in the title documents which prohibit certain alterations or necessitated the permission of another owner. Certain additions need local authority planning consent and approval under the building regulations. Many areas are designated conservation areas and special planning restrictions apply which frequently prevent or affect extensions. You should check these things with a surveyor before you commit yourself to a purchase.
I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Wimbledon off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Skipton. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should have one. Any advice?
It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Skipton, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Skipton conveyancing panel.
My offer was accepted on an apartment in Wimbledon on 13/11/2024, valuation was booked 2 days after, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor instructed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Clydesdale and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Clydesdale to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.
I need to instruct a conveyancing practitioner in Wimbledon for my home move. Is there any facility to check a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
Anyone may see published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) decisions stemming from investigations from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find information Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 any week day save for Tuesday when lines open at 9.30am. For callers outside the UK, dial +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator may monitor telephone calls for training reasons.