Conveyancing

[hella25]

Hi anyone familiar with conveyancing fees? I've had a couple of quotes from local solicitors firms and while I was expecting the legal fees to differ I've noticed that one firm is charging twice as much as the other for the local authority search - �160 as opposed to �80. Can this be right?
Cheers

[buildersmate]

No it's either a mistake or one is doing a different level of search. Phone the LA and ask what the rates are for various search types.
Better still, employ a licensed conveyancer if you want a better rate for the (expensive) lawyers-time bit.

[Eve]

A lot has changed now with HIPs and personal searches (a search agent does the search result rather than the council itself) are far more prevelant as they are usually significantly cheaper than the local authority's fees and are often quicker. At the moment though things are quiet so turnaround times shouldn't be that long.

Do question a personal search though as some LA's don't allow access to all their records so no reply can be given in a personal search and it is actually covered by an indemnity insurance policy so you wouldn't necessarily know if there was a problem and, if there was, it would fall to whether the policy covered it and the solutions available, all after you bought of course.

So, to an extent you do get what you pay for.

If it's for a HIP, also be especially careful with a personal search as an initial period where personal searches were covered by indemnity has now passed and conveyancers are now encouraged to ignore search results which do not provide a full reply but just rely on indemnity.

�160.00 is quite a lot for a local search, some local authorities have their prices on their website (often in a Local Land Charges section).

Depending on the firm, conveyancing fees tend to be pretty standard and fixed fee, rare to have it done on a time basis these days.

At my place, it wouldn't make a difference whether me (a partner and solicitor) or a junior paralegal did the work, the fee would be the same.

[Eve]

Good idea of content here...

http://www.kettering.gov.uk/site/scripts/docum ents_info.php?documentID=1022&pageNumber=3

Searches are carried out in two parts: LLC1 (Local Land Charges Register) and CON29 (Enquiries of Local Authority)

LLC1: This is a search of the Local Land Charges Register maintained by the Unit which deals with registerable charges, for example - Improvement / Renovation Grants, Tree Preservation Orders, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Listed Buildings etc.

CON 29: This is a standard form agreed by the Law Society and the Local Government Association which requires input by other Departments within the Authority. The information disclosed on the CON29 includes highways, drainage, planning, and environmental health matters.

[hella25]

Thanks for your answers. All very useful advice.

[SteveAlgren]

Great article explaining conveyancing fees here.
https://www.thinkconveyancing.com.au/blog/explaining-conveyancing-fees/