Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor in Durham is not identified on my mortgage company's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of his work?

That is more than likely an incorrect assumption to make. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator revealed 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should contact the Durham conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

My partner and I are only a couple days away from an exchange on a house in Durham and my mum and dad have sent the ten percent deposit to my conveyancing practitioner. I am now advised that as the deposit has been received from someone other than me my lawyer needs to make a notification to my bank. Apparently, in also acting for the bank he must advise them that the balance of the purchase price is not just from me. I advised the bank about my parents' contribution when I applied for the mortgage, so is it really appropriate for him to raise this?

The conveyancer is obliged to clarify with lender to ensure that they know that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. The solicitor can only report this to your bank if you permit them to, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.

We are buying a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in Durham who is on the Kent Reliance solicitor panel. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?

Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Kent Reliance . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Durham.

About to purchase a new build flat in Durham. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.

Here is a sample of a selection of leasehold new build questions that you can expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Durham

Has the Lease plan been approved by the Land Registry and if not when will they be lodged for this purpose? The Landlord must covenant to assume the management if the Management Company goes into liquidation or otherwise defaults in running the management scheme. Please confirm the Lease plans are surveyor prepared. If there are lifts in the building, please confirm that the owners of flats on the ground and basement floors will not be required to contribute towards the cost of maintenance and renewal. The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.

I today plan to offer on a house that seems to meet my requirements, at a great figure which is making it all the more appealing. I have just been informed that it's a leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are issues buying a leasehold house in Durham. Conveyancing solicitors have not yet been appointed. Will they explain the issues?

Most houses in Durham are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local conveyancer who is familiar with the area who can assist with the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Durham so you should seriously consider shopping around for a Durham conveyancing practitioner and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the number of years remaining. As a leaseholder you will not be at liberty to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions such as requiring the freeholder’sconsent to carry out changes to the property. You may also be required to pay a contribution towards the upkeep of the estate where the property is part of an estate. Your conveyancer will appraise you on the various issues.

I acquired a 2 bed flat in Durham, conveyancing formalities finalised March 2011. Can you shed any light on how much the price could be for a 90 year extension to my lease? Similar flats in Durham with an extended lease are worth £185,000. The ground rent is £65 levied per year. The lease comes to an end on 21st October 2084

With only 60 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to be between £20,000 and £23,000 plus costs.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs in the absence of comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There may be other issues that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not take any other action based on this information without first getting professional advice.