completion signing from a distance

[ednclouda]

my solis are in bham and I am in Mansfield

Have been sent the completion and transfer paperwork to be signed and witnessed

Have tried 3 diff Mansfield solis because they didnt originally do the conveyancing work they want 1000 pounds £1000 for the signature W H A T I expected a nominal fee but is this right no EA will touch it just gave me chapter and verse on GDPR which I do understand but £1000 for a signature please

Hmm well if it's a choice between paying £1000 to a local solicitor or making the trip to Birmingham, I'd just get myself to Birmingham (it's not THAT far is it?).

My solicitor was a 4 hour round trip away but I can't remember what happened about signing papers (I definitely did not pay £1000 to a local solicitor).

Where do you work? If you have a colleague who's a registered solicitor they can do it for you. Or perhaps a notary public would for a much lower fee than you've been quoted.

Actually - only the mortgage deed needed to be signed before a solicitor. Pretty sure I got a neighbour to witness our signature on the TR1.

What document is it that needs to be witnessed by a solicitor? This is not a common requirement.

@ednclouda
As eurochick says, we sold and purchased through an online based solicitor in 2017. A friend witnessed signature of all legal papers and it all went smoothly.
I would contact your solicitor and clarify situation.

We were on holiday in Canada when we had to sign. The papers were emailed to us, the hotel printed them off and the Postmaster who was the notary witnessed them for us. No charge, very polite and helpful. He then posted them recorded express delivery and only charged us standard rate!

I do this for a living and nothing needs to be signed in front of a solicitor.
Not the mortgage deed, transfer or contract.
In fact Ive exchanged contracts today on my own house purchase and all 3 of the above docs were posted to me. I signed them. Had them witnessed by a friend and sent them back in the post.
I’m honestly baffled

thetigerthatcamefortea is right. Even the most difficult, separate representation, solicitors don't require a solicitor to witness anything. If that was the case the online solicitors based in Cardiff and Leicester would be screwed. What exactly is it that you need signed. The only thing I can think of is a third party waiver.

Separate representation lenders not solicitors