Q and A’s regarding the April Mortgages Solicitor Panel from members of the public
I need to swap lawyers as my lawyer is not on the April Mortgages panel of conveyancing solicitors. Is it practical to instruct different lawyers?
If you haven't yet instructed a solicitor to do anything for you and have just received quotes, 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 you're considering.
My conveyancer is asking me for personal identification documents saying that this is part of his obligations as a solicitor on the April Mortgages Solicitor panel. Is this right?
Due to Money Laundering Regulations your conveyancing lawyer is duty bound to confirm positively your identification when entering into a business relationship with you. It is a criminal offense if your lawyer not do this. If you do not provide ID early in the transaction the solicitor must refuse to act for you. It’s unlikely a lawyer will turn you away if you come to the first meeting without relevant ID but you will have to produce it at some point so you might as well bring it with you to the initial meeting so the lawyer can tick the ID verification box and start sorting out the conveyancing straight away. If you are getting a mortgage with April Mortgages your lawyer also has to check ID documents to satisfy April Mortgages
Having used your search tool I can't find the lawyer I was hoping to instruct as being on the April Mortgages conveyancing panel. My lawyer has said that they are on the April Mortgages 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 April Mortgages 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 April Mortgages solicitor panel.
I am in the process of remortgaging my house does my lawyer need to be on the April Mortgages Solicitor panel?
There is nothing to stop you using your solicitor but April Mortgages will insist on their interests being represented by a firm on their conveyancing panel. There is greater potential for delays and confusion with two solicitors involved, and it will undoubtedly be more expensive too.
I have a mortgage with April Mortgages. My godfather retired last week and wants to pay off the mortgage left on the property. After April Mortgages is paid, I want to transfer the property to my mother's name; How long will it roughly take? Do we need two separate solicitors on the April Mortgages conveyancing panel? I do not intend to live at the property once the April Mortgages mortgage is discharged.
Although you do need to retain the services of a lawyer they dont
need to be on the April Mortgages panel.
You will need a solicitor to draw up the transfer and
to deal with the Land Registry formalities. The only thing you need to
consider is that by selling at an undervalue so ask your lawyer about
the implications. There could be an inheritance tax issue if you die
within 7 years of this. There's no capital gains tax for you as it is
your main residence.
It is not clear whether my mortgage offer requires a lease extension . I have telephoned April Mortgages on various occasions and was told they are content with the situation and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the April Mortgages conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told not they would not lend in accordance with their CML Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply dont know who is right
As long as the conveyancer is on the April Mortgages panel she or he must comply with the CML Handbook requirements for April Mortgages. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that April Mortgages will go ahead your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask April Mortgages to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.
My offer on house has been accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage app going with April Mortgages?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the April Mortgages conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with April Mortgages and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.