I am progressing with the sale of my house in Hollywood and the EA has just called to warn that the buyers are swapping property lawyer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only engage with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Hollywood ?
UK lenders have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.
Banks blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are not going to have any impact on this.
We see that you have a post code search directory listing firms on the conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I retain them for our conveyancing in Hollywood?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Hollywood.
How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my business offices in Hollywood and how can you help?
The particular law that you refer to gives protection to business lessees, giving them the a statutory right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of the lease term. There are certain specified grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complex. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Hollywood is one of the hundreds of areas of the UK in which our lawyers have offices
In surfing the internet for the words conveyancing in Hollywood it reveals numerous conveyancerslocally. With so much choice what is the best way to find the right conveyancing solicitor for the sale of my house?
The best method of seeking a suitable conveyancer is through a personal referral, so ask colleagues and family who have acquired a property in Hollywood or a reputable estate agent or financial adviser. Costs for conveyancing in Hollywood differ, so it's a good idea to secure at least three estimates from different property lawyers. Be sure to secure confirmation that the costs are assured not to to be inflated.
Having used your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the lender conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the lender approved panel. How can I be sure given that they are not listed on your directory?
Not all firms are yet listed on our lender panel search tool which is still relatively new. Law firms are listing on a daily basis and it is probably the case that your lawyer is on the mortgage company conveyancing lawyer and you should probably take them at their word. Please do feel free to suggest that they completing their listing on our site as it would only cost them £1 a month to list themselves as being on the lender solicitor panel.