Me and my partner are purchasing a ground floor flat in Knotty Ash. My Solicitor is not on the bank conveyancing list. Can I still retain my Knotty Ash conveyancing solicitor even though they are excluded from the lender approved list?

You have a couple of options open to you here

• Proceed with your preferred Knotty Ash property lawyer but your lender will need to appoint a conveyancing practitioner from their conveyancing panel. This will result in additional fees and probable delay.
• Get a fresh conveyancer to act in the purchase, ensuring that they are on the lender conveyancing panel.
• Convince your conveyancing practitioner to pull out all the stops to get listed on the mortgage company conveyancing panel

My fiance and I are buying a newly converted apartment in Knotty Ash with a mortgage from Birmingham Midshires.We would like to retain our Knotty Ash conveyancing practitioner but Birmingham Midshires informed us she’s not listed on their approved list of member firms. It seems we are left with little choice but to instruct a Birmingham Midshires panel lawyer or retain our high street solicitor and fork out for a Birmingham Midshires panel lawyer to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; Can we not simply insist that Birmingham Midshires use our lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The mortgage issued to you contains terms and conditions, a common one being that lawyers needs to be on the Birmingham Midshires conveyancing panel. in the past, most lenders 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 lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Birmingham Midshires

I am being advised by my conveyancer that flying freehold insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the level of cover for Knotty Ash conveyancing?

The appropriate level of flying freehold indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between HSBC Bank and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Conveyancing lawyers as opposed to members of the public take out such policies.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Knotty Ash. One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Yorkshire BS have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that your lender is Yorkshire BS your lawyer must comply with the conveyancing instructions set out in Section 2 of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Yorkshire BS. The CML Handbook sets out minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to Yorkshire BS where a lease fails to satisfy these requirements. The provisions relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not restricted to Knotty Ash.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Santander. I assume I don't need a Knotty Ash conveyancing practitioner on the Santander panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Santander 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 Santander mortgage from the register. Santander, 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 Santander has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Santander has instructed the Land Registry to do so

What will a local search inform me about the property my wife and I buying in Knotty Ash?

Knotty Ash conveyancing often starts with the ordering local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search organisations for instance Xpress Legal The local search plays a central role in most Knotty Ash conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant surprises after you move into your new home. The search should reveal data on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the property (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of 13 topic areas.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on a fortnight ago in what should have been a quick, chain free conveyancing. Knotty Ash is the location of the property. Is there any guidance you can impart?

Flying freeholds in Knotty Ash are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Knotty Ash you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds diligently. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Knotty Ash may determine 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 property.