I am progressing with the sale of my house in Bedfont and the EA has just called to say that the purchasers are switching conveyancer. The reason given is that the mortgage company will only deal with property lawyers on their approved list. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific lawyers rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Bedfont ?

Lenders have always had panels of law firms that can act for them, but in recent years big names such as Nationwide, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for many years.

Mortgage companies blame a rise in fraud as the reason for the cull – 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 being contacted daily by practices 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.

I have been told that property searches are the primary cause of stalling in Bedfont conveyancing transactions. Is that correct?

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) published conclusions of research by MoveWithUs that conveyancing searches do not figure amongst the most frequent causes of hindrances in the conveyancing process. Searches are unlikely to be the root cause of holding up conveyancing in Bedfont.

Should I be suspicious that third parties that I am dealing with are recommending a nationwide conveyancing firm as opposed to a High Street Bedfont conveyancing practice?

As with lots of service providers, often suggestions from relatives can be most helpful. But there are lots of parties with a keen interest in a conveyancing matter; estate agents, mortgage brokers and mortgage companies might all suggest solicitors to instruct. On occasion these conveyancers might be known to one of the organisations as experts in their field, but occasionally there is an underlying financial incentive behind the endorsement. You are at liberty to choose your own lawyer. You need to be aware that most mortgage providers specify a panel list of law firms you have to use for the lender related work in your conveyancing.

We're FTB’s - had an offer accepted, yet the property agent advised that the seller will only issue a contract if we appoint their preferred solicitors as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a local conveyancer accustomed to conveyancing in Bedfont

It is unlikely the owners are behind this. If they require ‘a quick sale', alienating a motivated buyer is not the way to achieve this. Speak to the owners direct and make sure they understand (a)you are motivated purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with mortgage lined up © you do not need to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)but you intend to instruct your preferred Bedfont conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will give their estate agent a commission or meet his conveyancing figures pre-set by HQ.

I own a leasehold house in Bedfont. Conveyancing and HSBC Bank mortgage organised. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the freehold. It included a ground rent demand for rent dating back to 1991. The conveyancing solicitor in Bedfont who previously acted has now retired. Do I pay?

The first thing you should do is make enquiries of HMLR to make sure that the individual claiming to own the freehold is in fact the registered owner of the freehold reversion. It is not necessary to incur the fees of a Bedfont conveyancing lawyer to do this as you can do this on the Land Registry website for a few pound. You should note that in any event, even if this is the legitimate freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 no more than 6 years of rent can be collected.

We have reached the end of our tether in trying to reach an agreement for a lease extension in Bedfont. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on premiums?

if there is a absentee freeholder or if there is disagreement about the premium for a lease extension, under the relevant statutes you can apply to the LVT to arrive at the amount due.

An example of a Lease Extension case for a Bedfont 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 remaining number of years on the lease was 82.93 years.