Is the fact that my solicitor in Tunstall is not on my mortgage company's conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of her conveyancing?

It would be unwise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly plausible explanations. A recent 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) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. Where you are concerned you should contact the Tunstall conveyancing practice and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your lender.

When can the exchange of contracts occur in sale conveyancing in Tunstall and am I required to be at the lawyers office?

Where you are round the corner to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Tunstall you are invited in to sign contracts. That being said, the law practices we recommend provide countrywide coverage for conveyancing and provide as equally detailed and professional a job for you when dealing with you by post or email. The signing of the contract is not the point of no return. Signing on the dotted line is just a prerequisite for the solicitor to exchange contracts when the time is right, which will usually be very shortly after signing. The procedure is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a long "chain" is involved, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Tunstall)to be in the office at the appropriate time.

I am intent on selling our property in Tunstall and the buyers lawyers are claiming that there is a risk of it being constructed on contaminated land. Any high street Tunstall lawyer would know this is not the case. For the life of me I don't know why the purchasers instructed an online conveyancing outfit rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Tunstall. Having lived in Tunstall for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to get confirmation that the buyers are looking for.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing firm already. Are they able to advise? You should check with 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 health insurance to cover that same sickness)

In my capacity as executor for the will of my aunt I am disposing of a property in Monmouth but reside in Tunstall. My conveyancer (who is 200 miles awayhas requested that I execute a stat dec ahead of the transaction finalising. Can you recommend a conveyancing lawyer in Tunstall to witness and place their company stamp on the document?

Technically speaking you should not need to have the documents attested by a conveyancing solicitor. Ordinarily or notary public or solicitor will suffice regardless of whether they are located in Tunstall

My wife and I purchased a leasehold house in Tunstall. Conveyancing and Coventry Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone claiming to own the reversionary interest in the property. Attached was a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1998. The conveyancing solicitor in Tunstall who acted for me is not around. What should I do?

First make enquiries of the Land Registry to make sure that the individual purporting to own the freehold is in fact the new freeholder. It is not necessary to instruct a Tunstall conveyancing firm to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for less than a fiver. You should note that regardless, even if this is the legitimate landlord, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

I own a basement flat in Tunstall, conveyancing was carried out May 2005. Can you let me have an estimated range of the fair premium for a lease extension? Similar flats in Tunstall with a long lease are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2094

With only 69 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to be between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as professional fees.

The figure above a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed investigations. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.