I am selling my apartment in Hall Green and the estate agent has just called to warn that the purchasers are changing their conveyancer. The reason given is that the lender will only work with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to select for their conveyancing in Hall Green ?

Mortgage companies have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as HSBC, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for many years.

Lenders justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is hearing daily from firms that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms are unaware that they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. The buyers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

The Hall Green conveyancing firm that I appointed last week on my purchase in Hall Green have without warning closed. They were on acting for me because I had to have a firm on the Bank of Ireland conveyancing panel and my family Hall Green lawyer was not. I paid them funds in advance. What should be my next steps?

If you have an estate agent involved then let them know straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would 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 Bank of Ireland 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 lawyers should be in a position to help.

We were going to get a DIP from Skipton this week so we know how much we could potentially offer as otherwise we are dependent on web based calculators (which aren't taking into account credit checks etc). Do Skipton recommend any Hall Green solicitors on the Skipton conveyancing panel, or is it better to go independently?

You will need to appoint Hall Green solicitors independently although you'll need to choose one on the Skipton conveyancing panel. The solicitor represents both you and Skipton through the process.

I have a mortgage with Barclays for my property in Hall Green. Conveyancing has been completed a year ago. If I am intending to rent out the flat and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a buy-to-let mortgage or inform Barclays?

Your original mortgage agreement with Barclays will provide that you need their approval prior to letting out your property as this is likely to be a breach of Barclays’s mortgage conditions. It may be that Barclays will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Barclays directly. You need not do this via a Barclays conveyancing panel lawyer.

I can not work out if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Hall Green building society branch on a couple of occasions and was told it does not impact the mortgage offer and they would lend. My Hall Green conveyancing solicitor - who is on the bank conveyancing panel- telephoned to say that they will not lend in accordance with their UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?

Provided that the conveyancing practitioner is on the mortgage company approved list, they must comply with the CML Handbook requirements for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the lender will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the lender to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years left on the lease.

Due to the guidance of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Hall Green in advance of instructing conveyancers. I have been advised that there is a flying freehold aspect to the property. The surveyor has said that some mortgage companies tend refuse to give a loan on this type of property.

It varies from the lender to lender. Bank of Scotland has different instructions for example to Nationwide. Should you wish to call us we can check via the appropriate lender. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can assist as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Hall Green. Conveyancing can be more complicated and therefore you should check with your conveyancing solicitor in Hall Green to see if the conveyancing will be more expensive.

Our lawyer in Hall Green has discovered a a legal deficiency with the lease for the property we are purchasing in Hall Green. The seller’s lawyers have offered title insurance as a solution. We are content with insurance and will pay for it. Our solicitor says that as he is on the lender conveyancing panel he must check that the lender is happy with this solution. Are we the client or is the bank?

Just because you have a mortgage offer from the bank does not mean to say that the property will be meet their requirements for the purposes of a mortgage. Your Hall Green conveyancing lawyer has to ensure that the lease has to comply with the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Requirements. You and the bank are the client. These conveyancing instructions must be adhered to by the bank conveyancing panel who has to balance acting for you and the mortgage company