We see that you have a search directory identifying firms on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for our own conveyancing in Dereham?

We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Co-operative conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Dereham.

I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Co-operative. I assume I don't need a Dereham conveyancer on the Co-operative panel to remove the mortgage at the Land Registry. Am I right?

If you have finished paying off your Co-operative mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Co-operative mortgage from the register. Co-operative, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:

1. but are not moving to another property
2. where Co-operative has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
3. Co-operative has instructed the Land Registry to do so

I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in August 2006, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Leeds Building Society are being difficult. The Dereham solicitor who is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel is recommending indemnity insurance as a solution but Leeds Building Society are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Leeds Building Society have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Leeds Building Society have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Leeds Building Society may not want to accept indemnity insurance is because it does not give them any reassurance that the double glazing was correctly and safely installed. The indemnity insurance merely protects against enforcement action which is very unlikely anyway.

Our offer on a detached house in Dereham has been accepted, but there is a chain. The sellers have placed an offer on a flat, however it’s not been accepted yet, and are looking at other properties booked. I have instructed a bricks and mortar conveyancing solicitor in Dereham. What do I do now? At what point do I apply for the mortgage with Coventry BS?

It is normal to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket prematurely (mortgage application is approx one thousand pounds, then survey, Dereham conveyancing search charges, etc). The first thing to do is check that your conveyancing practitioner is on the Coventry BS conveyancing panel. As to the next steps this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. During a hot market many buyers will apply for a home loan with Coventry BS and arrange for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they request their lawyer to proceed with the conveyancing in Dereham.

Will my conveyancer be raising questions about flooding during the conveyancing in Dereham.

Flooding is a growing risk for lawyers conducting conveyancing in Dereham. There are those who purchase a property in Dereham, fully expectant that at some time, it may be flooded. However, leaving to one side the physical damage, where a house is at risk of flooding, it may be difficult to obtain a mortgage, satisfactory insurance cover, or dispose of the property. There are steps that can be taken as part of the conveyancing process to forewarn the buyer.

Lawyers are not qualified to impart advice on flood risk, but there are a number of checks that can be carried out by the buyer or on a buyer’s behalf which will figure out the risks in Dereham. The conventional set of property information forms sent to a purchaser’s solicitor (where the Conveyancing Protocol is adopted) incorporates a standard inquiry of the seller to find out whether the premises has suffered from flooding. In the event that the residence has been flooded in past which is not revealed by the vendor, then a buyer may bring a legal claim for losses resulting from an incorrect response. A purchaser’s conveyancers will also carry out an enviro report. This should indicate whether there is any known flood risk. If so, more detailed investigations should be conducted.

I am looking for a flat up to £305k and found one close by in Dereham I like with a park and station in the vicinity, the downside is that it only has 51 years on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Dereham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a grave error buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you require a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if it has not already been discounted. If the current proprietor has owned the property for a minimum of 2 years you could request that they start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. You can add 90 years to the existing lease term with a zero ground rent applied. You should speak to your conveyancing solicitor about this matter.

I was pointed in your direction by a few property agents in Dereham to locate a conveyancer on your site. Is there a financial inducement for Estate Agents to recommend your services over a competitor’s?

We don’t make any commission for sending work to this site. We thought it would be too underhand to pay a commission as a client could think, ‘How come the agent getting a kickback? Why aren’t I getting any benefit too?’ We would prefer to grow our business on genuine recommendations.