I am nearing exchange of contracts for my apartment in Brent Park and the EA has just text me to advise that the purchasers are switching solicitor. The reason given is that the lender will only deal with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a big named mortgage company only work with certain law firms rather the firm that they want to appoint to handle their conveyancing in Brent Park ?

Mortgage companies have always had an approved set of law firms that can represent them, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Lending institutions 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. Banks tend not to reveal 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. Some 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. Your buyers are not going to have any impact on this.

Why do I have to pay up front for my conveyancing in Brent Park?

If you are buying a property in Brent Park your solicitor will request that you to provide them with funds to cover the search fees. This will be the total of the cost of the conveyancing searches. If any down payment is payable against the sale price then this should be needed shortly in advance of exchange of contracts. The closing balance that is needed will be payable a few days ahead of the day of completion.

Me and my partner are buying a apartment in Brent Park. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a lawyer? At some point we will need to send money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our deposit?

Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.

I am planning to move property in February. Will my conveyancing solicitor update the removal company on the day of completion. Incidentally, can you suggest a removal company in Brent Park. Conveyancing firm was chosen before I stumbled across this site.

On the afternoon of completion you will need to collect the house keys from the estate agent however this can only happen once the previous owners solicitors inform the agent that the monies to complete are in and the keys can be passed over. Subsequently you can tell the removal company that they can start moving you in. We are not in a position to suggest a specific removal organisation but can help you find a residential property solicitor in Brent Park or a firm with expertise in conveyancing in Brent Park.

is it true that all Brent Park solicitors on the RBS conveyancing panel are regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority?

As a firm of solicitors, in order to be on the RBS conveyancing panel they would need to be governed by the SRA. The majority of lenders do allow licenced conveyancers on their panel and in that case the organisation would be regulated by the CLC.

I decided to have a survey done on a property in Brent Park before retaining conveyancers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold aspect to the house. The surveyor advised that some lenders will refuse to issue a loan on such a home.

It varies from the lender to lender. Lloyds has different instructions for example to Halifax. If you contact us we can check via the relevant bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Brent Park. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

I am employed by a busy estate agency in Brent Park where we see a number of leasehold sales jeopardised due to short leases. I have received inconsistent advice from local Brent Park conveyancing firms. Please can you confirm whether the owner of a flat can commence the lease extension formalities for the purchaser on completion of the sale?

Provided that the seller has owned the lease 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. The benefit of this is that the proposed purchaser need not have to sit tight for 2 years to extend their lease. Both sets of lawyers will agree to form of assignment. The assignment has to be done before, or simultaneously with completion of the disposal of the property.

Alternatively, it may be possible 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 buyer.

I inherited a a ground floor purpose built flat in Brent Park. In the absence of agreement between myself and the freeholder, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal make a decision on the amount payable for the purchase of the freehold?

if there is a missing freeholder or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to calculate the price payable.

An example of a Freehold Enfranchisement case for a Brent Park flat is 7 Craven Park in June 2009. The tribunal considered it unnecessary to value the garage as an independent investment or to value each flat separately, providing that the marriage value calculation uses only the participating flats. Accordingly, the price determined by the Tribunal was £41,140 This case was in relation to 5 flats. The unexpired term as at the valuation date was 73.14 years.