Countrywide Conveyancing/HSBC - avoid like the plague if you want to complete

Yorkie1

There haven't been any posts recently to indicate that the problem continues, so I hope that things are improving.

cosmo21

Yorkie1 wrote: »

There haven't been any posts recently to indicate that the problem continues, so I hope that things are improving.

I'm afraid not. I'm trying to purchase a house with a HSBC mortgage. My solicitor wasn't on their panel, so I'm paying for the privilege of having Countrywide Conveyancers slow things up and not add any value (I prefer to have a solicitor who's working in my best interests, not one who's priority is maintaining their HSBC account). My solicitor has been trying to exchange for the last week, but has been unable to get the go ahead of CC. All very frustrating. Avoid using CC like the plague.

Richard_Webster

My solicitor wasn't on their panel

So why didn't you choose one of the 2000 or so solicitors who are CQS accredited and can act for HSBC?

Why didn't your solicitor warn you about this?

helgarr

WE are in a chain all waiting to exchange, but our buyers deposit is coming from the sale of his ex marital home, (not his current home) and it is an HSBC mortgage transferring to his ex wife so we are being held up by CC approving this mortgage even though they are not in the direct chain. As his ex wife is not in the chain there is nothing we can do to chase it, very frustrating.

mrsmchapman

Thanks Richard Webster, post removed to avoid confusion etc

Richard_Webster

people buying our house have countrywide coming to survey

Countrywide Surveyors may be part of the same group but this thread is about the conveyancing property lawyers and not about the surveyors. Any adverse comments that might apply to CWPL are not applicable to the surveyors.

martin2345uk

Having read through this whole thread, I'm confused!
Meeting our HSBC mortgage adviser this Saturday to do the application proper... been recommended a conveyancer by some friends.... If they are CQS accredited, does this mean we WON'T have to use Countrywide?
If they are not CQS accredited, then we would need to use CC? Or just pick another one that is accredited? How do you find only accredited ones?!

Sorry if this is a stupid question

kloana

martin2345uk wrote: »

Having read through this whole thread, I'm confused!
Meeting our HSBC mortgage adviser this Saturday to do the application proper... been recommended a conveyancer by some friends.... If they are CQS accredited, does this mean we WON'T have to use Countrywide?
If they are not CQS accredited, then we would need to use CC? Or just pick another one that is accredited? How do you find only accredited ones?!

Sorry if this is a stupid question

If your solicitor is CQS accredited, you need have no involvement with CC. If they are not accredited, your solicitor will charge an additional fee (at least c.£190, which is a cost passed on from HSBC - but some non-CQS sols I looked at wanted more than double the usual fee. Some refused to quote - there is/was some ill-feeling about the HSBC scenario amongst some local sols I contacted. One in particular was extremely candid with me).

How to find accredited... many larger firms (and smaller) will state their CQS status on their website. If you can find no such status, ring them to ask (I found one who was accredited, but simply didn't 'advertise' the fact).

Best to stick with CQS-accredited where HSBC are concerned. Although a non-accredited sol/firm can do it, the costs and additional timescale may make it unfeasible as an option.

We used a CQS firm (not CC). Very smooth transaction, and a very 'normal' fee.

Yorkie1

martin2345uk wrote: »

Having read through this whole thread, I'm confused!
Meeting our HSBC mortgage adviser this Saturday to do the application proper... been recommended a conveyancer by some friends.... If they are CQS accredited, does this mean we WON'T have to use Countrywide?
If they are not CQS accredited, then we would need to use CC? Or just pick another one that is accredited? How do you find only accredited ones?!

Sorry if this is a stupid question

Apparently you can search here.

martin2345uk

Thanks a bunch guys. Feel a bit less panicked about the whole thing.

Now I just need to worry about HSBC rejecting our application outright, heard some horror stories about that too!

Oh it's all fun and games this house buying isn't it :-/