I am in the process of selling my house in Epsom and the estate agent has just text me to say that the purchasers are changing their property lawyer. The excuse is that the bank will only engage with property lawyers on their conveyancing panel. On what basis would a leading mortgage company only engage with specific law firms rather the firm that they want to select to handle their conveyancing in Epsom ?

Lenders have always had panels of law firms that can represent them, but in the last few years big names such as Yorkshire Building Society, have considered and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have represented them for decades.

Lending institutions justify this action to a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened as a smaller panel is easier to keep an eye on. Banks tend not to disclose 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. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyers' case. Your purchasers are not going to have any sway in the decision.

Our bank has suggested solicitors on their panel based in Epsom but I would rather choose a conveyancing lawyer in Epsom or nearer to where I live. Are you able to help?

Far from all Epsom conveyancing practices are approved and listed on all banks conveyancing panel. Use our search tool to find a Epsom conveyancing firm on the on the lender panel.

There is lots of information on this site about conveyancing in Epsom but can you isolate your top tip for finding the right conveyancer in Epsom

We would encourage you not to base your choice on the cheapest Epsom conveyancing fees. You really do get what you’re paying for when it comes to conveyancing solicitors. A cheap quote may mean that the conveyancing solicitor is handling a lot of jobs at one time and you won’t get the quality of service and the attention that you need. It is, however, wise to use a conveyancer who has a fixed fee on a no sale, no fee basis. This way, you know exactly what you’ll have to pay in advance.

I am buying a property in Epsom. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Bank of Ireland have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?

Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Bank of Ireland your lawyer must comply with the formal instructions contained in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Bank of Ireland. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook contains minimum specifications for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancers are required to report to Bank of Ireland where a lease does not meet these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not restricted to Epsom.

I am selling my house. I had a double glazing fitted in October 2008, but did not receive a FENSA certificate or Building Regulation Certificate. My purchaser’s lender, Barclays are being difficult. The Epsom solicitor who is on the Barclays conveyancing panel is happy to accept ‘lack of building regulation’ insurance but Barclays are insisting on a building regulation certificate. Why do Barclays have a conveyancing panel if they don't accept advice from them?

It is probably the case that Barclays have referred the matter to their valuer. The reason why Barclays 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.

Do I need to take out insurance to protect me from financial exposure to chancel repairs when acquiring a residence in Epsom?

Unless a prior purchase of the property took place after 12 October 2013 you may take it that conveyancing practitioners handling conveyancing in Epsom to continue to suggest a chancel search and or chancel repair liability insurance.

I have recentlybeen informed that Wolstenholmes have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Epsom for a purchase of a freehold house 12 months ago. How can I be sure that the property is not still registered in the name of the previous owner?

The easiest way to check if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Epsom conveyancing specialists.