Moving Home Horror Stories And How To Avoid Them

It is only rarely that homebuyers in the UK find they have to employ the services of a conveyancing solicitor. Without having a thorough knowledge of these professional services means that we have to put our trust in someone else’s hands. The vast majority of conveyancers are decent and hard working, and those to be found on our handy Conveyancing Calculator are among the country’s most efficient and trustworthy. However, there are some trading who will only cause grief wherever they operate.

Recently, in Bolton, for instance, a woman was sentenced to a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, for trading as an unlicensed conveyancer, after stealing almost £20,000 from an unfortunate client. Doreen Conroy, who had been operating as DC Conveyancing, had been recommended by her unwitting victim’s mortgage advisor when he wanted to obtain a loan of £53,500. Conroy, however, only transferred £33,000 to her client’s solicitors, claiming later that this was just an ‘interim’ payment.

After her arrest, it was found that she already had mortgage arrears of around £18,000, and owed further money to other clients.

Homebuyers can avoid conveyancing fraud by preventing criminals from accessing their identity over the internet. Homebuyers are advised not to check emails over public WiFi, avoid revealing their buying or selling status on social media or using easily guessed passwords. It is essential that any changes to bank account details are confirmed in person, and not electronically.

In some cases, emails from solicitors to their clients have been intercepted by criminals online; they then persuade customers to transfer their money to a different bank account, or reveal further financial details. Any money sent is usually transferred quickly into another account. Whether the stolen money is returned by the bank’s fraud department is at the bank’s discretion, even if the customer acts with all diligence.

The return of the stolen money will not erase the experience of having one’s trust violated and obviously leads to a certain wariness towards professionals. But where large sums of money are involved, there criminals will always be waiting to pounce: only by using a recommended solicitor, such as those featured on our Conveyancing Calculator can prospective homebuyers protect themselves as much as possible against online fraud.

On the plus side, recent study at the University of New Hampshire shows that the stress of moving house can often boost homebuyers’ memory. More than 1,000 participants were asked to recall memorable experiences that occurred when they were aged between 40 and 60. More than 25% could remember very clearly the emotions they felt when moving home, particularly their first property.

These examples of malpractice have been highlighted to prove that the exception generally proves the rule. The general rule in property buying is that the overwhelming majority of conveyancers are decent people trying to earn a living by working hard for their clients. All conveyancers recommended by our Conveyancing Calculator have great experience and solid reputations, for peace of mind and a smooth move.