I had intended to instruct a property lawyer in Bishops Cleeve for our house purchase. Our broker informed us that our bank Alliance & Leicester won't deal with them. Why is this not regarded as unfair competition?

Before the recession most mortgage companies had a different appetite for risk. Almost all Bishops Cleeve conveyancing firms would have been on most mortgage company panels. The financial services regulator in 2010 carried out a thematic review into mortgage fraud which come to the conclusion: know the conveyancing solicitors dealt with. Consequently, lenders have regularly sought more information from law firms regarding their operations and the individuals who work for them as well as establishing certain criteria such a completing on a minimum amount of transactions. Many Bishops Cleeve conveyancing firms that have been excluded from lender panels have a 100% healthy track record, no complaints and no claims and didn't just 'dabble' in conveyancing. Bishops Cleeve is amongst the many areas where the lawyers showing on our search results are are approved Alliance & Leicester .

Have just purchased a probate house at auction in Bishops Cleeve. Conveyancing is necessary. What is next?

Now that you are legally bound yourself to purchase you should instruct a conveyancing solicitor soon as you are facing a pending a drop dead date to complete the purchase. Every auction property will have a bespoke auction set of papers. This should include most,if not all of the documents that your lawyer will need. In the case of leasehold property the auction pack should contain a copy of the lease, management information and a sellers leasehold information form and other conveyancing documentation specific to leasehold premises. You should pass this on to your appointed conveyancing solicitor ASAP. Do make sure that your finances are in place to complete the transaction on the set completion date.

I happen to be the single recipient of my late grandmother’s estate and I have everything in my name alone, including the house in Bishops Cleeve. Conveyancing formalities meant that the Land Registry date was in April. I plan to dispose of the property. I do know about the Mortgage Lenders six month 'rule', meaning my proprietorship will be considered the same way as if I'd bought the house in April. Will no one buy the property for half a year?

The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook mandates solicitors to: "report to us immediately if the owner or registered proprietor has been registered for less than six months." Technically you could be affected by that. How sensible a view lenders take of it, depend on the mortgage company as this provision chiefly exists to capture the purchase and immediately sell or the quick reselling of properties.

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

If you have finished paying off your Santander 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 Santander mortgage from the register. Santander, 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 Santander has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Santander has instructed the Land Registry to do so

The Land Registry will send you a letter confirming that your Santander mortgage has been paid off.

I used Arc property Solicitors several years ago for my conveyancing in Bishops Cleeve. Now, I need my files however the law firm has closed. What do I do?

Do contact the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracing your conveyancing files. They can be contacted on please contact on 0870 606 2555. Alternatively, you should use their online form to make an enquiry. You will need to provide the SRA with as much information as possible to assist their search, including the name and address in Bishops Cleeve of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously used, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

In surfing the world wide web for the term conveyancing in Bishops Cleeve it brings up numerous conveyancersin the area. How do I determine which is the right conveyancing solicitor for my move?

The preferential way of choosing a suitable conveyancer is through a trusted recommendation, so seek the opinion of colleagues and family who have bought a property in Bishops Cleeve or the reputable estate agent or mortgage broker. Fees for conveyancing in Bishops Cleeve vary, so it's sensible to secure at least three estimates from varying types of conveyancers. Be sure to secure confirmation what costs in the quote includes.

Completion is due on the disposal of our £425,000 garden flat in Bishops Cleeve next Thursday. The managing agents has quoted £384 for Certificate of Compliance, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge exorbitant fees for a leasehold conveyance in Bishops Cleeve?

For most leasehold sales in Bishops Cleeve conveyancing will involve, questions about the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :

Addressing pre-exchange enquiries Where consent is required before sale in Bishops Cleeve Supplying insurance information Deeds of covenant upon sale Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale

Your solicitor will have no control over the level of the charges for this information but the average costs for the information for Bishops Cleeve leasehold property is £350. For Bishops Cleeve conveyancing transactions it is customary for the seller to pay for these costs. The landlord or their agents are under no legal obligation to answer such questions most will be willing to do so - albeit often at exorbitant prices where the fees bear little relation to the work involved. Unfortunately there is no law that requires fixed charges for administrative tasks. Neither is there any legal time frame by which they are required to provide answers.

I bought a studio flat in Bishops Cleeve, conveyancing formalities finalised in 2000. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Bishops Cleeve with over 90 years remaining are worth £216,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease ceases on 21st October 2093

You have 69 years remaining on your lease we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as legals.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we are not able to provide a more accurate figure in the absence of comprehensive investigations. Do not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt other concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.