I am selling my apartment in Addlestone and the estate agent has just telephoned to say that the purchasers are switching solicitor. I am told that this is due to the fact that the lender will only engage with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only work with certain solicitors rather the firm that they want to choose to handle their conveyancing in Addlestone ?

UK lenders have always had panels of law firms they are content to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Lloyds Banking Group, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have acted for them for more than 15 years.

Banks blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the pruning – criteria have been narrowed as a smaller panel is easier to maintain. Banks tend not to disclose how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels. Plenty of firms do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

Forgive me if this question is silly but I am new to the home moving as FTB of a two bedroom flat in Addlestone. Do I pick up the keys to the property on completion from my conveyancer? If this is the case, I will find a local conveyancing solicitor in Addlestone?

There is no need to visit the lawyers office on the day of completion. Conveyancing lawyers for you will transfer the purchase money to the owner’s conveyancers, and once they have received this, you will be called to pick up the keys from the Estate Agents and move into your new home. This tends to happen between 1 and 3pm.

When it comes to mortgage companies such as Aldermore, do Addlestone conveyancers incur a yearly amount to be on the conveyancing panel?

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

How can we tell if a Addlestone conveyancing solicitor on the Co-operative panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Addlestone obtaining recommendations is a sensible start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advocate that you speak with the lawyer handling your transaction.

We are downsizing from our property in Addlestone and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was constructed on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know this is not the case. It does beg the question why the purchasers are using a web based conveyancing outfit as opposed to a conveyancing solicitor in Addlestone. Having lived in Addlestone for 5 years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to get clarification that the buyers are looking for.

It sounds as though you may have a conveyancing solicitor currently acting for you. Are they able to advise? You must enquire of 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 life insurance to cover that same ailment)

How can the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 affect my commercial property in Addlestone and how can your lawyers assist?

The particular law that you refer to affords security of tenure to business lessees, giving them the right to apply to court for a continuation of occupancy at the end of the lease term. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complex. We are happy to direct you to commercial conveyancing practices who use the act for protection and assist with commercial conveyancing in Addlestone

I work for a long established estate agent office in Addlestone where we have witnessed a number of leasehold sales put at risk as a result of leases having less than 80 years remaining. I have received inconsistent advice from local Addlestone conveyancing firms. Please can you clarify whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension process for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

As long as the seller has been the owner for at least 2 years it is possible, to serve a Section 42 notice to commence the lease extension process and assign the benefit of the notice to the purchaser. This means that the buyer can avoid having to sit tight for 2 years for a lease extension. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment needs to be completed prior to, or at the same time as completion of the disposal of the property.

An alternative approach is to extend the lease informally by agreement with the landlord either before or after the sale. If you are informally negotiating there are no rules and so you cannot insist on the landlord agreeing to grant an extension or transferring the benefit of an agreement to the purchaser.

I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without any joy. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such matters? Can you recommend a Addlestone conveyancing firm to help?

if there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to arrive at the sum to be paid.

An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Addlestone flat is 147 Redford Close in June 2012. The Tribunal determined the lease extension premium to be at £4,200 This case was in relation to 1 flat. The unexpired lease term was 82.93 years.