Me and my partner are hoping to purchase a 1 bedroom flat in Wimborne with a mortgage. We would like to retain our Wimborne solicitor, however the lender says she’s not on their "panel". It seems we have no option but to select one of the bank panel solicitors or continue with our Wimborne lawyer as well as pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; can we not require that the mortgage company use our Wimborne property lawyer ?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the lender’s conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: 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. A further alternative is for your Wimborne conveyancing solicitor to apply to be on the conveyancing panel.

I am helping my niece sell her property in Wimborne. Will the conveyancing solicitor order the energy performance certificate or it is for the owner to see to?

After the abolition of Home Packs, EPC’s became a mandatory component of moving house. An EPC should be commissioned before the property is marketed. It is not as aspect of the sale process that solicitors ordinarily arrange. Where you are instructing a Wimborne conveyancing lawyer they may be willing to arrange EPC’s due to their contacts with long established local energy assessors

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Lloyds, do Wimborne lawyers have to pay a yearly amount to be on the list of approved solicitors?

We are not aware of any bank fees to register on their panel, although some do charge an administration fee to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Clydesdale. I assume I don't need a Wimborne lawyer on the Clydesdale panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.

If you have finished paying off your Clydesdale mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Clydesdale mortgage from the register. Clydesdale, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Clydesdale has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Clydesdale has instructed the Land Registry to do so

My colleague suggested that where I am purchasing in Wimborne I should ask my conveyancer to execute a Neighbourhood, Planning and Local Amenity Search. Can you explain what the purpose of this search is?

This is a search is sometimes quoted for as part of the standard Wimborne conveyancing searches. It is a large document of about 40 pages, listing and detailing important information about Wimborne around the property and the people living there. It includes an Aerial Photograph, Planning Applications, Land Use, Mobile Phone Masts, Rights of Way, the Wimborne Housing Market, Council Tax Banding, the type of People living in the area, the dominant type of Housing, the Average House Prices, Crime details, Wimborne Education with maps and statistics, Local Amenities and other useful data regarding Wimborne.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified as part of conveyancing in Wimborne?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Wimborne. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

I am one month into a residential purchase having been referred to a firm by the selling agent to execute conveyancing in Wimborne. I am not happy. Could you help me find new conveyancers?

A conveyancer would need to be really poor to suggest diss instructing them. Has the mortgage offer been generated? In the event that it has you will need to inform them of the new contact details and have the mortgage documents are re-issued. Your new solicitor ideally should be on the lenders panel to avoid added expenses and complications. That should be your starting point. Our find a solicitor tool can help you find a lender approved lawyer for your home move in Wimborne