My fiance and I are looking to acquire a property in Par and have appointed a Par conveyancing firm. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has forwarded the sale agreement to be signed with a detailed report in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Skipton Building Society have this afternoon contacted us to inform me that they have now hit a problem as our Par solicitor is not on their approved list of lawyers. Is this a problem?

If you are buying a property requiring a mortgage it is conventional for the purchasers' solicitors to also represent the mortgage company. In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. Your solicitor should contact your bank and see if they can apply for membership of their conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable they will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the bank's conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred Par lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

Our solicitor has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the flat we are buying in Par. The other side have put forward defective title insurance as a workaround. We are happy with insurance and will cover the costs. Our conveyancing practitioner has advised that he must ensure that the bank is happy with this solution. Who is the client here, us or the lender?

The short answer to your last question is that, notwithstanding the risk of a conflict of interest, you and the mortgage company are the client. Your solicitor must comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook conditions require your lawyer to disclose issues such as defects with the lease so that the lender can be afforded the opportunity to check with their valuer as to the extent that the value of the property is affected. Should you refuse to allow your lawyer to make the appropriate notification then your conveyancing practitioner will have no choice but to discontinue acting for you.

My lender has recommended solicitors on their panel based in Par but I would rather use a conveyancing lawyer in Par round the corner to me. Are you able to help?

The minority of Par conveyancing firms are approved and listed on all banks conveyancing panel. Use the above search tool to choose a Par conveyancing solicitor on the on the mortgage company panel.

My wife and I own a 4 bedroom Victorian house in Par. Conveyancing solicitor represented me and Birmingham Midshires. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and there are a couple of entries: one for freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same property. I'd like to know for sure, how can I find out??

You should review the Freehold register you have again and check the Charges Register for 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 Par and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they remortgage they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with buyers. You can also enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing solicitor who conducted the conveyancing.

About to purchase a new build flat in Par. Conveyancing is necessary evil 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 conveyancing.

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

Please provide evidence that the form of Lease proposed has been approved by the Land Registry. Investor purchasers must be able to freely grant unsecured tenancies at market rents without requiring any consents. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Where service of notices and proceedings can be at the property demised please confirm that this can be amended to include simultaneous services at the Lessees’ solicitors’ offices where the Lessee from time to time is not resident in the UK - such solicitors may be varied by notice in writing to the Landlord from time to time but otherwise will be as previously specified. Please supply a car parking plan.