What happens if my lawyer’s firm is removed from the Clydesdale Solicitor panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Buckley?
The first thing to point out is that, this is very unlikely to happen. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit for a fee.
A friend recommended that where I am buying in Buckley I should carry out a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?
A search of this type is usually included in the estimate for your Buckley conveyancing searches. It is a large report of more than thirty pages, listing and detailing important information about Buckley around the property and the people living there. It incorporates an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the local Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the demographics of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime statistics, Buckley Education with plans and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful information concerning Buckley.
My wife and I have a 4 bedroom Edwardian house in Buckley. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Yorkshire Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold with the exact same property. Is it worth asking Yorkshire Building Society to clarify?
You need to review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Buckley and other areas of the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also enquire as to the position with your conveyancing lawyer who completed the work.
How does conveyancing in Buckley differ for new build properties?
Most buyers of new build residence in Buckley approach us having been asked by the seller to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the residence is built. This is because builders in Buckley usually buy the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct property lawyers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Buckley or who has acted in the same development.
Do I need to be concerned that brokers that I am dealing with are recommending an online conveyancing firm as opposed to a local Buckley conveyancing firm?
As with lots of service providers, often input from relatives can be very helpful. But there are many people with a keen interest in a conveyancing transaction; estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders may recommend lawyers to appoint. Sometimes the conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as one of the best in their field, but occasionally there behind the scenes commercial relationship behind the endorsement. You have the right to appoint your own conveyancer. However, bear in mind that some mortgage providers have an approved list of solicitors you have to use for the mortgage related work in your conveyancing.