A loan offer from NatWest for the remortgage of my 3 bedroom apartment is to be issued any day now. Can you suggest a low cost conveyancing law firm in St Annes Park?

You are on the wrong site if you are in need of cut-price fees for conveyancing solicitors in St Annes Park. We can offer you value for money conveyancing but we do not advertise as being the cheapest. Do not be seduced by brokers offering the bait of low cost conveyancing in St Annes Park. At best, in deciding on low cost conveyancing, you will get your money’s worth and at worst you will end up with a surprising uplift in additional fees and still not get the service expected.

We are purchasing a newly built duplex in St Annes Park and my conveyancer is advising me that she is duty bound to the mortgage company to disclose incentives from the builder. I am on a tight deadline to exchange and I don't want to delay deal. is my lawyer playing by the book?

You should not exchange unless you have been advised to do so by your lawyer. A precondition to being on a lender panel is to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook provisions. The CML Conveyancing Handbook requires that your lawyer have the appropriate Disclosure of Incentive form completed by the developer and accepted by your lender.

The St Annes Park conveyancing lawyers that just started acting on my purchase in St Annes Park have without warning shut down. I only went with them because I had to have a firm on the Skipton conveyancing panel and my previous St Annes Park lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £195 for searches. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then inform them immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Skipton conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to help.

Is it correct that all St Annes Park CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the HSBC conveyancing panel?

Some major banks and building societies now make use of the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. Nevertheless,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to remain on their approved list of firms.

is it true that all St Annes Park conveyancing solicitors on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel are regulated by the SRA?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the Coventry BS approved list of solicitors they would need to be overseen by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. Many banks do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the firms would be governed by the CLC.

I am currently in the process of buying my council flat in St Annes Park. I have a mortgage offer with Co-operative. Conveyancing is new to me. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Co-operative, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Co-operative conveyancing panel.

I am purchasing a flat mortgage free. I have provided solicitor with two separate evidence of photographic ID, bank statement, endless utility bills. Now he needs a copy from a probate lawyer acknowledging that the funds are legitimate and that it has come from inheritance and not via illegitimate means.

For some years now requires conveyancing solicitors as well as banks, building societies and other financial institutes to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of the client. This is because solicitors who deal with money and property on behalf of their clients can be used by criminals wishing to launder money. In order to comply with the law of money laundering, your St Annes Park conveyancing lawyer will need to obtain evidence of your identity as as well as make sure that your funds are legitimate.