I have just been advised by my IFA that my Belper lawyer is not on the mortgage company Solicitor panel. How can I check?

The first thing you need to do is to call your Belper lawyer directly. You lawyer should inform you of the situation. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.

What does my ID and proof of funds have anything to do with my conveyancing in Belper? Why is this being asked of me?

Belper conveyancing solicitors and indeed property practitioners accross the UK have a duty under money laundering regulations to check the identity of any client with a view to satisfy themselves that clients are who they say they are.

Conveyancing clients will need to produce two forms of certified identification; proof of identity (typically a Passport or Driving Licence) and evidence of address (usually a Bank Statement no older than three months).

Proof of the origin of monies is also necessary under the money laundering regulations as solicitors are obliged to investigate that the funds you are utilising to purchase a property (be it the exchange deposit or the total purchase amount if you are buying mortgage free) has originated from legitimate source (such as employment savings) rather than the proceeds of criminal behaviour.

My wife and I are close to exchanging contracts on the sale of our property in Belper and according to the buyers it appears that there is a possibility that the property was built on contaminated land. A local conveyancer would know that there is no such problem. For the life of me I don't know why the buyers used a factory type conveyancing practice rather than a conveyancing solicitor in Belper. We have lived in Belper for many years we know that this is a non issue. Do we contact our local Authority to obtain confirmation need.

It would appear that you have a conveyancing lawyer currently acting for you. What do they say? You need to check with 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)

I used Arc property Solicitors a few years past for my conveyancing in Belper. Now, I need my documents however the law firm is no longer operating. What do I do?

You should call the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) to assist in tracking down 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 Belper 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.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold issue on a property I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a quick, chain free conveyancing. Belper is the location of the property. Can you offer any guidance?

Flying freeholds in Belper are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Belper you would need to get your solicitor to go through the deeds very carefully. Your lender may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Belper may ascertain that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold residence.