I am progressing with the sale of my home in Chew Magna and the EA has just e-mailed to advise that the purchasers are switching law firm. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only work with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a major mortgage company only work with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Chew Magna ?

Lenders have always had an approved set of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 25 years.

Mortgage companies justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to monitor. Banks tend not to reveal how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

we are a couple who intend to purchase a 1 bedroom apartment in Chew Magna with a loan from HSBC Bank.We like our Chew Magna conveyancing practitioner but HSBC Bank advised that his firm is not on their approved list of member firms. It seems we are left with little choice but to instruct a HSBC Bank panel firm or retain our local solicitor and fork out for one of their panel ones to act for them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that HSBC Bank use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The loan offered to you is subject to its various provisions, one of which will be that conveyancers will be on the HSBC Bank solicitor panel. in the past, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for HSBC Bank

My father advised me that in purchasing a property in Chew Magna there could be a number of restrictions prohibiting external changes to a property. Is this right?

There are a number of properties in Chew Magna which have some sort of restriction or requirement of consent to execute external changes. Part of the conveyancing in Chew Magna should determine what restrictions are applicable and advising you as part of a ROT that should be sent to you.

I have paid off my mortgage with UBS. I assume I don't need a Chew Magna lawyer on the UBS panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your UBS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the UBS mortgage from the register. UBS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where UBS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. UBS has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I can not work out if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called my Chew Magna building society branch on numerous occasions and was advised it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My Chew Magna conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called and was told they refuse to lend based on their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. I simply don't know who is right.

The conveyancer has to comply with the CML Handbook section two requirements for your lender. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the bank to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I'm purchasing a new build house in Chew Magna with the aid of help to buy. The developers refused to reduce the amount so I negotiated five thousand pounds worth of fixtures and fittings instead. The estate agent told me not to tell my conveyancer about the deal as it may impact my mortgage with Accord Mortgages Ltd. Should I keep quiet?.

All lenders require a Disclosure of Incentives Form from the developer of any new build, converted or renovated property, It is available online from the Lenders’ Handbook page on the CML website. CML form is completed and handed to the lender's surveyor when the inspection is done.

Lenders have different policies on incentives. Some accept none at all, cash or physical, while others will accept cash incentives up to 5%.

Hard to understand why the representative of a builder would be suggesting you withold information from a solicitor when all this will be clearly visible on forms the builder has to supply to its solicitor, the buyer's solicitor and the surveyor.

Yesterday I discovered that there is a flying freehold element on a house I put an offer in a fortnight ago in what should have been a simple, no chain conveyancing. Chew Magna is where the house is located. Is there any advice you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Chew Magna are rare but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even where you use a solicitor outside Chew Magna you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds very carefully. Your mortgage company may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Chew Magna may decide that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.