Is the fact that my solicitor in Norwood is not on my lender's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of his work?
That would more than likely be an incorrect assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Norwood conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.
We're in Norwood, First timers purchasing with a mortgage (lender is Barclays , and our lawyer is on the Barclays conveyancing panel). How long should the conveyancing process take?
The fact that your lawyer is on the Barclays conveyancing panel is a help. It would almost certainly delay matters if they were not. However, no solicitor should guarantee a timeframe for your conveyancing, due to third parties outside of your control such as delays caused by lenders,conveyancing search providers or by the other side’s solicitors. The time taken is often determined by the number of parties in a chain.
I am planning on selling our property in Norwood and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. Any high street Norwood lawyer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers used an online conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Norwood. Having lived in Norwood for six years we know that this is a non issue. Is it a good idea to contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.
It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer already. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of 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 health insurance to cover that same ailment)
Despite weeks of looking the Title Certificate and documents to our house can not be found. The lawyers who did the conveyancing in Norwood 4 years ago have long since closed. What are my next steps?
As long as the title is registered the details of your proprietorship will be retained by HMLR under a Title Number. It is easy to carry out a search at the Land Registry, identify your property and obtain up to date copies of the property title for less than a fiver. Where the title is Leasehold then the Land Registry will in most cases hold a certified copy of the Registered Lease and again, a copy can be retrieved for twenty pounds.
Should I go with a Norwood conveyancing solicitor who is local to the property I am purchasing? I have an old university friend who can carry out the conveyancing however his firm is located approximately 350miles drive away.
The benefit of a high street Norwood conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign documents, hand in your ID and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local knowledge which is a plus. However it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If other friends have used your friend and on the whole were happy that should surpass using an unknown Norwood conveyancing solicitor solely due to them being based in the area.
I need to swap lawyers as my Norwood lawyer is not on the bank's approved list of conveyancing solicitors. Is it advisable to appoint a new law firm?
If you haven't yet instructed a solicitor to start work and have just received an estimate as to costs, you're perfectly free to choose a different solicitor to carry out your work for you. The best way is to get recommendations from friends or family who have actually used the solicitor or conveyancer in Norwood that you're considering.