My husband and I are buying a 3 bedroom flat in Lechlade with a mortgage. We wish to retain our Lechlade lawyer, however the bank advise he's not on their "panel". It seems we have no option but to select one of the bank panel conveyancing practices or retain our Lechlade property lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel firms to act for them. We regard this is inequitable; is there anything we can do?
No, not really. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your Lechlade conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
My wife and I are downsizing from our home in Lechlade and according to the buyers it appears that there is a risk of it being built on contaminated land. Any high street Lechlade lawyer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers are using a nationwide conveyancing firm rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Lechlade. We have lived in Lechlade for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Should we get in touch with our local Authority to obtain confirmation that there is no issue.
It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You must check with your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)
Just acquired a semi-detached house in Lechlade , how long will it take for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing my proprietorship? My Lechlade conveyancing solicitor has been very slow, so I want to be certain the registration is addressed.
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Lechlade registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can differ depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any interested parties. Currently in the region of three quarters of such applications are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Historically registration occurs once the purchaser is living at the property so 'speed' is not always primary concern yet if there is a degree of urgency associated with the registration then you or your lawyers can speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
Do I need to be concerned about third parties that I am dealing with are encouraging me to use a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Lechlade conveyancing practice?
As with lots of service providers, often input from family and friends can be most helpful. Nevertheless there are lots of players in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and banks might all put forward lawyers to appoint. On occasion the solicitors might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes financial incentive behind the endorsement. You have the discretion to choose your preferred lawyer. You need to be aware that the majority of lenders operate an approved list of conveyancers you have to use for the mortgage related work in your conveyancing.
Why am I unable to complete our conveyancing in Lechlade on a public holiday?
This is due to the fact that on completion the purchase price needs to pass between the banks of the buyer and owner’s conveyancing practitioner and currently this can only happen on a business day. It is not possible to complete on a weekend either.