Peter Rodd the Chair of the Law Society Property Section and senior conveyancing partner at Boys & Maughan in Margate has written an article in the Gazette criticising firms for failing to use the new Conveyancing Protocol.
Despite the fact that it is already eight months old and supposed to be adopted by all CQS firms it is clear that many firms are blatantly disregarding it and are making enquiries that are irrelevant to the property in question.
Peter Rodd points out that
“…a set has just arrived on my desk. It asks whether the seller will accept a 5% deposit. No reason is given for the request. It asks whether or not the water supply is metered – the answer is in the property information form supplied. There is a question about the condition of the property, and another which enquires whether the property abuts the highway – reference to the title plan and to the photos on the agent’s particulars makes the position abundantly clear. There are questions about the garage, which the agent’s particulars show does not exist. There are other irrelevant questions before the fourth page concludes with five leasehold enquiries.”
We all know such behaviour is commonplace and adds unnecessary time and cost to transactions when consumers often just want to get into their new homes.
How can conveyancers complain to lenders and insurers about the way they are penalising conveyancers when we tolerate such poor quality conveyancing within our own ranks?
So please send us examples of conveyancing bad practice to help us try to drive up standards. We won’t publish the firm names unless the enquiries are truly awful but will contact them and give them a right to comment on the actions they take that others find unhelpful.
Please do not send us personal data but if you can redact individual’s personal information we want to expose the worst. Contact us at chris.harris@todaysconveyancer.co.uk
