The Conveyancing Association has announced the launch of ‘Pledges’, a set of customer service commitments which all its members must agree to uphold.
Among the Pledges is one promising to communicate properly with house buyers and sellers.
The scheme is a rival one, set up especially for licensed conveyancers and also conveyancing solicitors who are excluded from the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme which went live nearly two years ago.
Eddie Goldsmith, Conveyancing Association chairman, said: “These Pledges go above and beyond the requirements of our members’ regulators and industry accreditation schemes such as the Conveyancing Quality Scheme.
“Importantly, they also bring licensed conveyancers who can’t use CQS into the fold, thereby bringing the whole industry of specialist conveyancers together in a ground-breaking initiative.
“What the Conveyancing Association adds is a culture of fairness that sets the tone for the service our members provide, whether they are dealing with a large mortgage lender, a family buying their first flat together, or a conveyancer elsewhere on the chain.
“Considerable consumer frustration during the house-buying process often comes from lack of communication from conveyancers. Consumers often feel uninformed and, due to legal jargon, unclear on the legal process. These Pledges will ensure conveyancers communicate regularly and clearly with their clients.
“At the same time, the Pledges will assure lenders that transactions are promptly registered at the Land Registry with a good and marketable title, and that members will take pro-active steps to protect mortgage funds and combat mortgage and property fraud.”
The launch of the Conveyancing Pledges comes as a survey by One Poll, commissioned by the CA, finds that 90% of respondents said they were frustrated with the house-buying process, citing bureaucracy, lack of information, delays and costs as their biggest bugbears.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of house-buyers experienced problems such as delays during their transaction.
Of these, conveyancers were blamed for 47% of problems, with estate agents responsible for 18% and mortgage lenders for 16%.
The poll questioned 500 people who had bought a home since the start of 2011.
.png)
Comments
I blame rightmove, if they didnt sell property the poor conveyancer would not be picked on to be at fault.
@ Hawkeye on 2012-12-19 10:35:14
Do not disagree with you.
In my experience the main delays are caused by conveyancers just sitting there doing not much until they have to REact to something. Very rarely are they PROactive, which they should be if they were acting in their clients best interests. Most residential conveyancing is money for old rope!
'Among the Pledges is one promising to communicate properly with house buyers and sellers'.
“These Pledges go above and beyond the requirements'.
What a load of poo.
Of course there is a lack of communication because they are unable to answer questions on the delay process. Typical example is a seller asks his solicitor/conveyancer, are we ready and the answer is given as yes. They then put down phone we get ear bashing because we say they are not ready probably on a purchase (which said sol/conv has little interest in) in the chain not being ready searches not in survey not finalised maybe waiting for damp or electrical reports etc etc etc. So until the sol/conv does as we EA's do as a norm go through the chain systematically (which they are unable to do because their rules say they can't) then they will to a man/woman be unable to communicate fully to the client.
So who are these twits to say a pledge to communicate more will avoid frustration. as I said what a load of poo.
Everything is held electronically today so why the delays? Its not to earn more money out of it as most clients think it's because of stupid rules the powers that be burden sol/conv with.
Anyone disagree?
Having deja-vu. All thess negative responses on the state of the housing market seems oh so familiar.
Remember reading similar reports in 1999 -2000 - widespread consumer disatisfaction, aborted transactions, £360M per year wasted.
The housing ministers of the time undertook comparitive research of how things were done overseas and low and behold - Denmark had a great system!
All the relevant information was gathered together in advance of the property going on the market - with the sole purpose preventing delays and wasted costs.
Think it was called a home information pack! Do you think it could catch on in this country?