searches in HIPS expired!! HELP

h17e5h

Hello all..

Please could some one help with a problem my solicitor noticed.. i'll start from the beginning..

Buying a repo and everything was set to complete 12th sepetember, solicitor looked through HIPS and the searches are expired!

Solicitor is going through to halifax and asking them but because i'm so impatient i rang up and talked to manager who rang me back and said its not her problem or halifax and we should pay for them.

I am so steaming mad, why should i have to pay for searches when they were in the HIPS..

Can someone please advise who is wrong, me or halifax??...

If halifax are wrong what shall i say to them?

Thanks for any help..

pawpurrs

If they are expired its normally up to the buyer to redo them.

westv

How long are searches valid for?

lynzpower

Absoutely its up to the vendor.

Buyers do not and should never be expected to pay for HIPs.

Halifax has to redo them if your solicitor is not likely to accept these searches, could take time Im afraid

david29dpo

The seller is not required to update the searches in the HIP. Most solicitors will want new searches if 5/6 mouths old. If it where a normal sale and not a re-pro, you could insist the seller paid for them, most will to keep the sale but legally there dont have to.

nixinix

I am buying a repo and also selling gto a ftb. I am finding that we are getting caught for everything to keep the sale - the FTB expects us to pick up all problems and the mortgagees of the repo say 'take it or leave it"...joys of buying a repo!!

bev53

unfortunately the local search is only valid for 3 months from the date of issue. The drainage search is valid for 6 months. The longer the property remains on the market the more risk you have of the searches expiring. If you were paying cash this would not matter but it is the mortgag lenders who set out criteria not the Solicitor. The searches can be renewed and can be done pretty quickly or search insurance obtained

I hope this helps

david29dpo

There is no set valid life-span of the searches. The Law society recommend about 6 mouths but its at the solicitors discretion.

Xchicane

Anyone relying on the contents of the HIP should think again they don't speed up the process they slow it down

david29dpo

how do they slow it down?

Richard_Webster

Is OP complaining about Halifax selling the repo not providing up to date searches or querying whether Halifax as his lender won't accept them?

Halifax as a lender certainly will accept a search validation insurance policy which pays out in the unlikely event of a loss of value caused by an adverse entry which would have appeared on a search carried out between the date of the search and actual completion, provided this is no more than 12 months. Policy with a leading company for up to £200K cover costs £30. Mattter of argument whether seller or buyer pays for it.