My husband and I are purchasing a 2 bedroom apartment in North Woolwich with a mortgage. We wish to retain our North Woolwich conveyancer, however the lender says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the bank panel solicitors or keep our North Woolwich lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. We regard this is inequitable; can we not insist that the mortgage company use our North Woolwich lawyer ?
Unfortunately,no. 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. A further alternative is for your North Woolwich conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.
When will exchange of contracts happen for sale conveyancing in North Woolwich and am I required to be at the solicitors office?
Where you are in close proximity to one of the conveyancing solicitors in North Woolwich you are invited in to sign contracts. That being said, the law practices we recommend supply a countrywide conveyancing service and provide as equally diligent and professional a job for you when communicating with you electronically. The executing of the sale agreement is not when everything is set in stone. A signed contract simply enables the firm to officially exchange when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is is usually a five minute process, although where a lengthy "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in North Woolwich)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
Are the BSA intent on creating a online directory to list solicitors on the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society conveyancing panel for instance in North Woolwich?
We are not aware of any intention on the part of the BSA to develop such a search facility.
I completed on my flat on 10 March and my personal details is not yet on the land registry website. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in North Woolwich said it will be concluded in less than a month. Are titles in North Woolwich uniquely lengthy to register?
There is nothing unique when it comes to conveyancing in North Woolwich registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timescales can adjust depending on who lodges the application, whether it is in order and whether the Land registry communicate with any 3rd parties. As of today approximately 80% of such applications are completed within 12 days but occasionally there can be protracted hold-ups. Historically registration is effected once the buyer is living at the property therefore an expedited registration is not typically an essential issue but if it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for an expedited registration.
Myself and my husband have just had an offer agreed on a house and had an appointment on Wednesday with Leeds Building Society for the mortgage. They warned me that when it comes to choosing a conveyancing practitioner that if they are not on their approved panel of conveyancing practitioners then we will be subject to an an additional charge of £200. This is because they will then have to instruct a solicitor to act for them in addition to the one we select for ourselves and we are liable for their invoice. I have requested Leeds Building Society to furnish me with a list so I can seek estimates only from their approved conveyancers but was told they dont have such a list to hand over. Is there a simple way of finding out who is on a lender panel?
You should ask Leeds Building Society what their criteria for panel membership is for a solicitor.Thereafter ask the lawyer of your choice whether they meet the criteria and have they acted on mortgages for Leeds Building Society historically. If the answer to those is yes, then just double check with Leeds Building Society. Another option is to make use of our search tool and we may be able to identify a lawyer in North Woolwich on the panel for Leeds Building Society.