We are buying a 2 bedroom apartment in Locks Heath with a mortgage. We like our Locks Heath solicitor, however the lender says he's not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the lender panel solicitors or keep our Locks Heath lawyer and pay for one of their panel firms to act for them. We regard this is unjust; are we not able to require that the lender use our Locks Heath conveyancing practitioner ?

Unfortunately,no. Your mortgage offer is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, 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. A further alternative is for your Locks Heath conveyancing lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

is it true that all Locks Heath solicitors on the TSB conveyancing panel are governed by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the TSB conveyancing panel they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many mortgage companies do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the organisation would be regulated by the CLC.

Can I be sure that the Locks Heath conveyancing solicitor on the Clydesdale panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Locks Heath getting recommendations is a sensible starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always advocate that you speak with the lawyer handling your conveyancing.

I recently had an offer agreed on a house in Locks Heath. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers. I paid an on account payment of £225. A couple of days later, the property lawyer contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Santander conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?

You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Santander panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.

Have purchased a a semi-detached house in Locks Heath , What is the estimated time for the Land Registry to deal with the formalities evidencing the transfer to my name? My Locks Heath conveyancing solicitor works at snail pace, so I want to be certain that my purchase is recorded.

As far as conveyancing in Locks Heath is concerned, registration is no quicker or slower than anywhere else in England and Wales. Rather than based on location, timeframes can adjust depending on who lodges the application, whether there are errors and whether the Land registry communicate with any third parties. As of today approximately 80% of such applications are completed within two weeks but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Historically registration occurs after the purchaser has moved in to the property thus an expedited registration is not usually primary concern but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your lawyers can communicate with the Registry to express the reasoning for the application to be prioritised.

My husband and I are 3 weeks into a leasehold purchase having been recommend to a firm by the selling agent to do our conveyancing in Locks Heath. We are not happy. Can you help me find new conveyancers?

They would have to be very bad in order to consider diss instructing them. Has your mortgage been generated? If so you need to make them aware of the new solicitor and have the loan are re-sent. The solicitor ideally needs to be on the lenders panel to avoid supplemental expenses and delays. So that should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool can assist you in finding a bank approved lawyer for your home move in Locks Heath

Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only 62 years remaining on my flat in Locks Heath. I now wish to extend my lease but my freeholder is missing. What should I do?

On the basis that you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. You will be obliged to prove that you or your lawyers have made all reasonable attempts to track down the freeholder. For most situations an enquiry agent may be useful to conduct investigations and prepare an expert document to be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer in relation to devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court covering Locks Heath.

Locks Heath Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask Prior to Purchasing

How long is the Lease? Be sure to investigate if there are any onerous restrictions in the lease. For instance it is fairly common in Locks Heath leases that pets are not allowed in in a block in Locks Heath. If you like the propertyin Locks Heath however your dog is not allowed to live with you then you will be presented with a hard decision. The answer will be useful as a) areas can cause problems for the block as the common areas may begin to deteriorate if repairs remain unpaid b) if the tenants have a dispute with the running of the building you will want to have complete disclosure