I am selling my flat in Calstock and the EA has just e-mailed to say that the buyers are changing their conveyancer. I am told that this is due to the fact that the bank will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. On what basis would a major mortgage company only deal with certain lawyers rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Calstock ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

Can you help? My Calstock lawyer is informing me me that he has toorder Calstock conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Lloydssolicitor panel. Is my solicitor right?

You have limited options available to you. Given that you are taking out a loan with a mortgage company your conveyancing practitioner has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your conveyancer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook conditions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Calstock conveyancing searches.

The Calstock conveyancing solicitors that I appointed last week on my purchase in Calstock have suddenly shut down. They were on acting for me because I had to have a lawyer on the Aldermore conveyancing panel and my family Calstock lawyer was not. I paid them £170 on account. What do I do now?

Assuming that you have an Estate Agent in the equation then inform them immediately so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Aldermore conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors should be in a position to help.

We're new to the buying process - agreed a price, yet the property agent advised that the vendor will only issue a contract if we appoint the agent's chosen lawyers as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Calstock

We suspect that the owner is unaware of this ultimatum. If they desire ‘a quick sale', turning down a serious buyer is likely to cause more damage than good. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are ready to progress, with mortgage lined up © you are chain free (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)but you will continue to appoint your own,trusted Calstock conveyancing solicitors - not the ones that will provide their estate agent a kickback or meet his conveyancing thresholds demanded by corporate headquarters.

Do I have to have a meeting at the offices of the mortgage company conveyancing panel solicitor to execute the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Calstock so that I can pop in to their offices if required.

As opposed to 12 years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Calstock.