I am selling my apartment in Groby and the estate agent has just text me to warn that the buyers are appointing a new solicitor. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a big named lender only work with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint for their conveyancing in Groby ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Nationwide, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Lending institutions blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society claims that it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Some 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 not going to have any impact on this.

My Groby lawyer has discovered a discrepancy between the information in the valuation report and what is in the title deeds. My solicitor says that he must check that the bank is OK with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my lawyer’s approach legitimate?

Your lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions which do require that your lawyer disclose any incorrect assumptions in the lender’s valuation report and the legal papers. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your lawyer will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

I have todaydiscovered that Wolstenholmes have closed. They carried out my conveyancing in Groby for a purchase of a freehold house 18 months ago. How can I establish that the property is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest method to see if the premises is registered to you, you can carry out a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Groby conveyancing specialists.

As co-executor for the estate of my uncle I am disposing of a residence in Monmouth but I am based in Groby. My conveyancer (who is 300 kilometers awayneeds me to execute a statutory declaration before the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing solicitor in Groby to witness this legal document for me?

Technically speaking you are unlikely to be required to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or qualified solicitor will be fine regardless of whether they are based in Groby

I have recently realised that I have 62 years unexpired on my flat in Groby. I now want to get lease extension but my freeholder is can not be found. What are my options?

If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the County Court for an order to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be lengthened by the magistrate. However, you will be required to prove that you have used your best endeavours to find the freeholder. On the whole an enquiry agent should be useful to carry out a search and to produce a report which can be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a solicitor in relation to proving the landlord’s disappearance and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Groby.

I inherited a studio flat in Groby, conveyancing having been completed 3 years ago. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Groby with over 90 years remaining are worth £206,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £45 invoiced annually. The lease expires on 21st October 2090

With just 65 years remaining on your lease we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £13,300 and £15,400 as well as professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to advice on a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed due diligence. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be taken into account and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.