Some advice if I may. My Cotham conveyancer is advising me that he has toconduct Cotham conveyancing searches becausethe firm are on the Virgin Moneyconveyancing panel. Is my lawyer correct?

Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. As you are taking a home loan with a lender your conveyancing practitioner has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your solicitor would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Cotham conveyancing searches.

We are getting a further advance on our mortgage from TSB as we want to carry out alterations to our house in Cotham. Are we obliged to appoint a local Cotham solicitor on the TSB conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?

TSB don't usually appoint firms on their conveyancing panel to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the TSB conveyancing panel.

I'm spending time viewing apartments in Cotham and I am now considering a potential offer. Is it wise to have a solicitor on ‘stand by’? I intend to finance via a home loan with Clydesdale.

You should start obtaining conveyancing estimates from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and forward their contact information on to the estate agent. Given that you are seeking a mortgage with Clydesdale, make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Clydesdale conveyancing panel.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Cotham off the council. I have a mortgage offer with Lloyds. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Lloyds, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Lloyds conveyancing panel.

I purchased my flat on 8 April and the transaction details is yet to be on the land registry website. Should I be concerned? My conveyancing solicitor in Cotham said it will be dealt with in less than a month. Are transfers in Cotham uniquely lengthy to register?

There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Cotham registration formalities. Rather than based on location, timeframes can adjust subject to who lodges the application, whether it is in order and if the Land registry communicate with any interested parties. Currently roughly 80% of submission are fully addressed in less than three weeks but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Registration is effected after the new owner has moved in to the premises so post completion formalities is not typically an essential issue yet where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your conveyancer should speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.

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At this site obtain a conveyancing costs illustration via a Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer that understands the nuances for your conveyancing in Cotham. Unlike many estate agents and many comparison sites we are not in the business of charging firms a fee if you select them for your conveyancing in Cotham

A conveyancing firm handled my conveyancing in Cotham half a dozen years past having retained my title documents but has since been shut down – how do I retreive them?

Deeds, as such, are no longer appropriate for the majority of properties in Cotham are archived digitally at Land Registry. If you need to prove ownership or are disposing of or re-mortgaging your conveyancer will need to obtain up to date copies of the register from the Land Registry in any case.

If you feel there may be other documents or you have any other queries please e-mail your request with details of the transaction and documents you need to filerequest@clc-uk.org. The CLC will let you know what information they have and any additional information they may need before they are in a position to identify and send the documents to you. Following an intervention it may take some time for the CLC to access archived files and documents, but your request will be actioned with reasonable haste.