I am progressing with the sale of my apartment in Ladywood and the estate agent has just text me to warn that the purchasers are switching solicitor. The excuse is that the mortgage company will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a big named mortgage company only deal with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Ladywood ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.

Mortgage companies attribute this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been stiffened as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that 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.

The Ladywood conveyancing firm handling our Ladywood conveyancing has spotted a difference between the surveyor’s assumptions in the home valuation report and what is in the legal papers for the property. My solicitor has advised that he is duty bound to ensure that the bank is happy with this discrepancy and is still content to lend. Is my conveyancer’s stance correct?

Your property lawyer must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications 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 both parties.

We just had an offer accepted to buy with Earl Shilton BS. I called into a couple of high street companies yet cant to find a Ladywood conveyancing firm on the Earl Shilton BS panel. Can you help?

Feel free to make the most of the search tool on this page. Pick the lender and type Ladywood or your location and you will see numerous conveyancers located in Ladywood or nearest you.

I have a 4 bedroom Georgian property in Ladywood. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Barnsley Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and I saw two entries: the first freehold, the second leasehold under the matching address. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should read the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register as there may be mention of a lease. The best way to be sure that you are also the registered owner of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Ladywood and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they sell they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with purchasers. You can also question the situation with your conveyancing lawyer who conducted the conveyancing.

The lawyers conducting our conveyancing in Ladywood has forwarded papers to review that reveal that the property is unregistered with epitome documents. Surely all properties in Ladywood should be registered?

Whilst most properties in Ladywood are now registered with the Land Registry there are still some that remain unregistered. Any property in Ladywood that has been transferred since the late 1980’s will have been registered at the Land Registry under the compulsory ‘first registration’ scheme. However, if a Ladywood property has not changed hands in that time then it’s likely the old fashioned title deeds will be the only evidence of ownership.Many Ladywood conveyancing practitioners will be able to handle such matters but if any uncertainty reigns the conventional advice presently is for the seller to register it first and then deal with the sale conveyance - this will predictably cause a significant delay.