I am progressing with the sale of my ground floor flat in Parbold and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the purchasers are switching property lawyer. The excuse is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a big named lender only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Parbold ?

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 Yorkshire Building Society, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for more than 15 years.

Lending institutions point to the increase in fraud by way of justification for the reduction – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to reveal 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. Plenty of firms 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. The buyers are unlikely to have any impact on this.

My partner and I have just bought a house in Parbold. We have noticed several issues with the property which we believe were omitted in the conveyancing searches. Do we have any recourse? What searches should? have been carried out as part of conveyancing in Parbold?

The question is vague as what problems have arisen and if they are relate to conveyancing in Parbold. Conveyancing searches and due diligence undertaken during the legal transfer of property are carried out to help avoid problems. As part of the legal transfer of property, a property owner fills in a document called a Seller’s Property Information Form. If the information ends up being incorrect, then you may have a claim against the seller for any losses that you have suffered. The survey should have identified any problems with the structure of the property. Assuming a detailed survey was carried out and the issues were not identified, you may have a claim against the surveyor. However, if you did not have a full survey, you may be responsible for fixing any defects that have now been noted. We would always encourage buyers to take every possible step to ensure they are completely aware of the condition of a property before purchase regardless of whether they are buying in Parbold.

Me and my brother have a semi-detached Georgian house in Parbold. Conveyancing practitioner represented me and Nationwide Building Society. I happened to do a free search for it on the Land Registry database and I saw a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold under the exact same address. I thought I was buying a freehold how can I check?

You need to review 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 proprietor of the leasehold and freehold title as well is to check (£3). It is not completely unheard of in Parbold and other locations in the country and poses no real issues for owners other than when they buy they have to account for both freehold and leasehold interests when dealing with lenders. You can also question the position with the conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

What does commercial conveyancing in Parbold cover?

Commercial conveyancing in Parbold incorporates a broad array of services, offered by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more commonly, the transfer of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial loans and the termination of tenancies.

I need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Parbold for my remortgage. Is there any facility to check a firm’s record with the profession’s regulator?

Members of the public may search for published Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations stemming from inquisitions from 2008 onwards. Go to Check a solicitor's record. To find records Pre 2008, or to check a solicitors record, telephone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. For non-uk callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator could recorded call for training reasons.