I am one month into the sale of my home in Quinton and the EA has just called to advise that the purchasers are swapping solicitor. The excuse is that the bank will only deal with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. Why would a major mortgage company only engage with specific solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose for their conveyancing in Quinton ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the last few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for decades.

Banks justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms 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. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

Having sold my house in Quinton last February yet the purchaser is whats apping me to say his conveyancer needs to hear from mylawyer. What should have happened now that I have sold?

Post completion of your house sale your lawyer should deliver the transfer documentation and all of the paperwork to the buyer’s conveyancer. Where appropriate, your lawyer must also evidence that the legal charge in favour of the lender has been discharged to the buyers lawyers. There are no post completion requirements unique to conveyancing in Quinton.

There are a variety of conveyancing solicitors in Quinton but how do I know who I should use?

We would encourage you not to go for the lowest Quinton conveyancing costs illustration. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to property lawyers. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you go into the conveyancing with your eyes wide open.

I am purchasing a property in Quinton. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Clydesdale have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Clydesdale your lawyer must follow the conveyancing requirements set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Clydesdale. The CML Handbook includes minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Clydesdale where a lease does not satisfy these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not restricted to Quinton.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Quinton off the council. I have a mortgage offer with UBS. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use 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 UBS, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the UBS conveyancing panel.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Quinton?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Quinton. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

What tools are available to locate a Quinton solicitor on the Virgin Money conveyancing panel? I have wheels and am happy to travel upto 25kilometers to meet the solicitor.

You can use the tool on this page. Please choose the mortgage company and your location and you will see a number of Quinton conveyancing lawyers located nearest you. We have listed some Quinton conveyancing firms towards the end of this page and you can contact them to see if they are on the Virgin Money member panel