Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my conveyancer in Victoria Dock is not listed on my lender's solicitor panel that there is a problem with the standard of her conveyancing?

That is more than likely a wrong assumption to make. There are plenty of plausible explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated that over three quarters of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 5 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the solicitor is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should contact the Victoria Dock conveyancing firm and enquire why they are no longer on the approved list for your mortgage company.

I used Arc property Solicitors several years ago for my conveyancing in Victoria Dock. I now require my papers but cannot find the solicitor. What do I do?

You should call 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 Victoria Dock of the conveyancing firm of solicitors you previously instructed, the name of conveyancing solicitor with whom you had dealings, and the date on which you last had dealings with the firm.

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £245,000 and found one round the corner in Victoria Dock I like with open areas and railway links nearby, however it's only got 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Victoria Dock for this price, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error acquiring a short lease?

Should you require a home loan the shortness of the lease may be a potential deal breaker. Reduce the offer by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the premises for a minimum of 2 years you may request that they commence the lease extension formalities and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this.

What does commercial conveyancing in Victoria Dock cover?

Commercial conveyancing in Victoria Dock incorporates a broad range of guidance, supplied by qualified solicitors, relating to business premises. By way of example, this type of conveyancing can cover the sale or purchase of freehold business premises or, more usually, the assignment of existing business tenancies or the drafting of new leasing arrangements. Commercial conveyancing solicitors can also offer advice on the sale of business assets, commercial mortgages and the termination of tenancies.

We are in the process of buying a property in Victoria Dock. Conveyancing is not over but we wish to keep the amount we are are buying for confidential from sites such as Nestoria. Is this achievable and how?

HMLR by statute are required to specify price paid information on the official title for domestic properties countrywide which includes properties in Victoria Dock. The register of ownership is an open document, so HM Land Registry would be breaking the law if they failed to permit access to the register.

In essence you can make a request of HM Land Registry to hide the price paid entry but the response would be in the negative.