My financial adviser requires my Cudham solicitor’s panel member for the Nat West conveyancing panel. Can you suggest how I obtain this. I have called my local Cudham branch but they have not got back to me yet.

Have you tried contacting your Cudham conveyancer about this?. They maintain a central record lender panel numbers.

I am hoping to complete my purchase in Cudham next Monday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in his capacity as lawyer for the lender. What does the insurance need to cover?

All property lawyers on acting for lenders would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in a lender’s Part 2 instructions. These obligations are not unique to conveyancing in Cudham.

We wanted to use a conveyancing solicitor in Cudham for our house purchase. Our broker has since notified us that our bank Lloyds TSB Bank won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unduly restrictive?

Before the recession most banks had an appetite for risk which was higher than today. Almost all Cudham conveyancing firms would have been on most mortgage company panels. The financial services regulator in 2010 conducted a thematic review into mortgage fraud which concluded: know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, mortgage companies are increasingly seeing more data from law firms regarding their operations and the individuals who work for them as well as establishing certain criteria such a completing on a minimum amount of conveyancing. Many Cudham conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have Unblemished track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Cudham is amongst the hundreds of areas where the conveyancers we recommend are are approved Lloyds TSB Bank.

We are 14 days into a freehold purchase having been directed to a firm by the estate agent to do our conveyancing in Cudham. I am not happy. Can you you assist me in finding new solicitors?

A conveyancer would need to be really bad to suggest replacing them. Has your mortgage been sent? In the event that it has you will need to make them aware of the new contact details and get the loan are re-issued. The conveyancer needs to be on the mortgage company panel to avoid escalating fees and frustration. So that should be your starting point. The find a solicitor tool will assist you in finding a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Cudham

I am employed by a reputable estate agency in Cudham where we have experienced a few flat sales derailed due to leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have been given contradictory information from local Cudham conveyancing firms. Please can you shed some light as to whether the owner of a flat can instigate the lease extension process for the buyer?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. The benefit of this is that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed before, or simultaneously with completion of the sale.

Alternatively, it may be possible to agree the lease extension with the freeholder either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I am the proprietor of a two-bedroom flat in Cudham. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount due for the purchase of the freehold?

in cases where there is a absentee landlord or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to calculate the premium.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Cudham flat is 1 Southlands Court Southlands Road in September 2013. The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal determined that the premium to be paid by the tenant on the grant of a new lease, in accordance with section 56 and Schedule 13 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 was £30,541 This case affected 1 flat. The remaining number of years on the lease was 50.57 years.