LEGAL BROKERS LTD STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Effective 01st April 2020

For the purposes of these terms and conditions any references to LEGAL BROKERS LTD or ‘the company’ means LEGAL BROKERS LTD and any third party organisations, associates, partners or employees used during the course of legitimate LEGAL BROKERS LTD business. Any reference to the ‘client’ means the purchaser or their agent, the vendor, the purchaser, the purchaser’s lender or any agent acting on behalf of the aforementioned. Please note, where the vendor or the purchaser have instructed a third party to act as their agent (such as an Estate Agent, or Solicitor) and said agent instructs LEGAL BROKERS LTD, the agent will be responsible for any and all fees due to LEGAL BROKERS LTD

1. LEGAL BROKERS LTD provides Personal Local Authority Searches, Regulated Personal Drainage and Water Searches and other Conveyancing searches. We are neither Process Servers nor Enquiry Agents.
2. LEGAL BROKERS LTD services are restricted to UK based properties only
3. Unless otherwise agreed, all instructions must be in writing and include full postal address, location plan and the appropriate fee.
4. Instructions received after 4.00pm will be treated as being received on the next working day.
5. Should no location plan be provided, LEGAL BROKERS LTD will still fulfill the requested service but will not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in the results, unless otherwise requested to wait by the client.
6. The information used to compile the Search Report will be obtained by a personal inspection of Local Authority records, Water Authority Mapping Systems and other legitimate sources available in the public domain.
7. LEGAL BROKERS LTD undertakes to ensure that either fully trained staff will only obtain information, or associates suitably qualified and experienced in carrying out Local Authority and Drainage and Water Searches
8. LEGAL BROKERS LTD accepts no responsibility for revealing incomplete or inaccurate information where this is the result of incomplete or inaccurate source material. However, any financial loss, resulting from such reports, is covered by our Personal Search Indemnity Insurance (see condition 10)
9. LEGAL BROKERS LTD search all available public records. Where the Council’s own records do not extend back beyond a particular date the replies include the period covered by the Council’s records; prior records could be searched (subject to Local Authority approval) but an additional cost may be incurred. In the case of Personal Drainage and Water Searches LEGAL BROKERS LTD can only reveal assets as shown by the Water Companies, LEGAL BROKERS LTD will only reveal assets within the immediate vicinity of the property being searched not the entire plan provided in the search.
10. All personal searches carried out by LEGAL BROKERS LTD are covered by our Professional Indemnity insurance for up to £2m per search against ‘errors and omissions’
11. Should such an error in a personal local search or personal drainage and water search result in financial loss the client should immediately contact Stewart Title.
12. In the event that the client suffers financial loss as a result of negligence or otherwise, the liability of LEGAL BROKERS LTD will be restricted to the sum of £2million per claim.
13. Where additional information is required and forms an essential part of a search request, it is the obligation of the client to inform LEGAL BROKERS LTD at the outset. E.g. Optional Enquiries, additional land.
14. Where it is only available at an additional cost/time element LEGAL BROKERS LTD undertakes to inform the client of any additional fees that may be chargeable for obtaining such information
15. In the event of the client requesting ‘copy documents’, a fee will be charged based on the cost/time elements of obtaining said documents and any local authority disbursement. LEGAL BROKERS LTD undertakes to inform the client of such fees at the time of the request.
16. LEGAL BROKERS LTD aims to complete all searches within ten working days. However, where this is not possible due to external factors e.g. local authority appointment systems, Water Companies or lead times for obtaining Con29 information, LEGAL BROKERS LTD will provide an estimated completion date.
17. Where LEGAL BROKERS LTD is aware in advance that there may be a delay in completing the instruction, we will, wherever possible, inform the client at the outset. In all other circumstances, LEGAL BROKERS LTD undertakes to inform the client within twenty-four hours of becoming aware of any such delay.
18. Where the delay is due to external factors LEGAL BROKERS LTD accepts no liability for any loss, financial or otherwise, incurred by the client, as a result of said delay
19. Results will be typed and submitted in LEGAL BROKERS LTD Report format, (sample reports are available on request). In the case of inter-agent searches this will be a Short form report, which provides information only
20. Search Reports will be returned electronically; as a carbon neutral company LEGAL BROKERS LTD does not provide hard copies as standard
21. The client must notify any defect or inaccuracy in the report provided to LEGAL BROKERS LTD, in writing, within seven days of the error being discovered. In the event that such notice is not given, the client shall be deemed to have been satisfied with the performance of LEGAL BROKERS LTD.
22. Unless otherwise agreed, standard payment terms are cash or cheque with the instruction
23. Alternative terms by agreement only: Payment on receipt of invoice; these will be submitted with results and payment due within 7 days, or following an agreed period, payment on receipt of monthly statement: Please note all invoices on the statement are immediately payable on receipt of the statement
24. Invoices and statements are submitted electronically
25. All products remain the property of LEGAL BROKERS LTD until all agreed terms have been fulfilled
26. LEGAL BROKERS LTD reserves the right to withhold any results until payment has been received
27. All search documentation provided by LEGAL BROKERS LTD is governed by copyright law and as such is for the sole use of the ‘client’, including any ‘agents
28. Each search is deemed to be an inpidual contract governed by English Law
29. LEGAL BROKERS LTD will comply with the terms of the Search Code.
30. In the case of Personal Drainage and Water Searches please note that the LEGAL BROKERS LTD search does not include the same questions and responses that are answered in an Official CON29DW search. LEGAL BROKERS LTD provides these reports and answers all questions where information is publically available from the service provider.
31. If you remain unsatisfied, once our internal procedures have been exhausted, you may refer your complaint to The Property Ombudsman scheme (Web site www.tpos.co.uk, Tel: 01722 333306, Email: admin@tpos.co.uk). Please note that TPOs will consider complaints against firms only once their internal procedures have been exhausted.

These terms and conditions do not affect your Statutory Rights