Is the fact that my conveyancer in Ripon is not identified on my lender's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the quality of her conveyancing?

That would most likely be a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of reasonable explanations. Just recently a report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The most common reasons for removal are: (1) low volume of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Should you be concerned you should simply call the Ripon conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your bank.

My conveyancer has identified a a problem with the lease for the property we are buying in Ripon. The other side have put forward title insurance as a workaround. We are content with insurance and will cover the costs. Our property lawyer says that he must check that the bank is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the mortgage company ?

Notwithstanding that you have a mortgage offer from the mortgage company does not mean to say that the property will meet their specifications for the purposes of a mortgage. Your lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook specifications. You and the bank are the client. These conveyancing instructions must be adhered to.

I am downsizing from our home in Ripon and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a possibility that the property was built land that was not decontaminated. Any local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. It does beg the question why the buyers instructed an internet conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Ripon. We have lived in Ripon for 4 years we know that this is a non issue. Do we get in touch with our local Authority to seek clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You need to enquire of your lawyer before you do anything. It is very possible that once the local authority has been informed of a potential issue it cannot be insured against (a bit like being diagnosed with a serious illness and then taking out life insurance to cover that same sickness)

We expect to complete the disposal of our £125,000 garden flat in Ripon in just under a week. The freeholder has quoted £300 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and 3 years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a leasehold conveyance in Ripon?

Ripon conveyancing on leasehold flats ordinarily involves administration charges levied by freeholders :

Completing pre-contract enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Ripon Copies of the building insurance and schedule Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Ripon Leasehold Conveyancing - Sample of Questions you should ask before buying

Where a Ripon lease has no more than 80 years it will affect the salability of the flat. Check with your mortgage company that they are happy with the length of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will probably need a lease extension sooner rather than later and it is worth discovering what this will be. Remember, in most cases you would need to own the premises for 24 months in order to be eligible to exercise a lease extension. Its a good idea to discover as much as possible regarding the managing agents as they will either make your living at the property much simpler or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you are frequently in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to daily issues such as the tidiness of the communal areas. Ask prospective neighbours what they think of their management. In conclusion, be sure you understand the dates that the service fees are due to the appropriate party and precisely what you get for your money. Who takes charge for maintaining and repairing the block?

My fiance and I are hoping to buy a 2 bedroom flatin Ripon with a mortgage from a mortgage company. We have a conveyancer in Ripon however our mortgage company inform us now that he's not listed on their "panel". Apparently we need to choose from the our mortgage company panel firms or keep our Ripon conveyancer and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that our mortgage company use our Ripon lawyer?

Unfortunately,no. The bank home loan offered to you is subject to conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the bank's conveyancing panel. Until recently, most mortgage companies had large numbers of law firms on their panels, including many conveyancing solicitors in Ripon : 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. Another option that might be available is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for your mortgage company.