Much to our surprise we have been told by our lender that my Petts Wood property lawyer is not on the lender Solicitor panel. What can I do to be certain if this is indeed the case?

The first thing you need to do is to contact your Petts Wood conveyancer. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they may recommend you to a Petts Wood conveyancing practice that is on the conveyancing panel for your bank.

I own a freehold property in Petts Wood but nevertheless pay rent, why is this and what is this?

It’s unusual for properties in Petts Wood and has limited impact for conveyancing in Petts Wood but some freehold properties in England (particularly common in North West England) pay an annual sum known as a Chief Rent or a Rentcharge to a third party who has no other legal interest in the land.

Rentcharge payments are usually between £2.00 and £5.00 per year. Rentcharges date back hundreds of years, but the Rent Charge Act 1977 barred the establishment of fresh rentcharges post 1977.

Previous rentcharges can now be extinguished by making a lump sum payment under the Act. Any rentcharges that are still in existence post 2037 is to be extinguished.

After months of negotiation I have agreed a price on a house in Petts Wood. My mortgage broker pressured me to appoint their conveyancer. I paid an on account payment of £225. A few days later, the conveyancer called me to say that they were not on the Aldermore 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 Aldermore 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.

I am due to exchange contracts on my flat. I had a double glazing fitted in June 2007, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My buyer's lender, Lloyds are being a right pain. The Petts Wood solicitor who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Lloyds are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Lloyds have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Lloyds have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Lloyds may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

About to purchase house in Petts Wood. I have received an online quote from a licenced conveyancer, which states: "There will be no charge for dealing with the Lender if you are obtaining a mortgage". I take this to mean that there will be no additional fee if the solicitor is on the HSBC conveyancing panel. I wanted to make sure it means there will be no additional fees for dealing with the mortgage.

They are simply saying that the cost for acting for the lender is included in the fee being quoted. It is worth you checking that the Petts Wood property lawyer is on the HSBC conveyancing panel.

I purchased a 4 bedroom Victorian property in Petts Wood. Conveyancing lawyer represented me and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. I did a free Land Registry search last week and there are a couple of entries: the first freehold, another for leasehold with the matching property. If a house is not a freehold shouldn't I have been informed?

You need to assess 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 Petts Wood 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 enquire as to the situation with your conveyancing practitioner who conducted the purchase.

I am using a search engine for the term on line conveyancing in Petts Wood it shows results of many property lawyerslocally. How do I determine which is the suitable conveyancing solicitor for me?

The preferential way of seeking the right conveyancer is through a trusted referral, so enquire of friends and family who have acquired a property in Petts Wood or a respected estate agent or mortgage broker. Costs for conveyancing in Petts Wood differ, so it's a good idea to request a minimum of four fee calculations from different solicitors. Dont forget to clarify what costs in the quote includes.